“Will face poll along with Congress”
Former PM Deve Gowda predicts early election to Lok Sabha
Bengaluru/ New Delhi, June 28: Former Prime Minister and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda predicted early election to the Lok Sabha and it may fall in either November or December.
Speaking to reporters at New Delhi on Thursday, Deve Gowda said that going by the functioning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, it is sure that the country would go for early LS poll and both the PM and Shah have already directed all states to prepare for the early election. There is no doubt if the monsoon Parliament Session is the last session of the government. Shortly, he would meet the leaders of non-NDA parties, he said.
Alliance with Congress
The JDS would make alliance with the Congress for the next Lok Sabha election. In Uttar Pradesh, the BSP would give some seats to the Congress, for which discussions were going on. But in Karnataka, seat sharing issue was not yet discussed. Even it was discussed about him contesting from Mandya. There were some problems in Karnataka and soon discussions would be held, Gowda said.
Attended Defence Ministry meeting
“It is reported that I came to Delhi to meet Congress leaders. But I came here to participate in a Defence Ministry meeting. I have not attended three meetings of the Ministry. But now, the meeting was cancelled for some reasons”, he said.
For the smooth running of the coalition government, Coordination Committee was formed in Karnataka. The Coordination Committee, AICC president Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka Incharge KC Venugopal would take a final decision on everything including Budget presentation, he clarified.
Declined to react
Deve Gowda said that he would not react to the statement of former chief minister Siddaramaiah. The coalition government would run as per the agreement between the Congress and the JDS. AICC president Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy would discuss and find solution, he said.
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Maharashtra government considers tweaks to Ladki Bahin scheme amid fiscal strain: Reports
Mumbai: A day after the Mahayuti coalition secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, attention has turned to the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a flagship welfare scheme that played a pivotal role in attracting women voters.
The scheme, launched in July 2024, offers ₹1,500 per month to economically disadvantaged women aged 18 to 65. The Mahayuti, in its election manifesto, pledged to increase the amount to ₹2,100 per month, a promise now under scrutiny due to fiscal concerns. With the scheme projected to cost the exchequer ₹33,300 crore from July 2024 to March 2025, bureaucrats are exploring ways to revise its provisions to prevent a financial imbalance.
Finance Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar hinted at the challenges, stressing the need for "financial discipline." A senior bureaucrat confirmed that plans are underway to prune the list of beneficiaries, citing the inclusion of ineligible individuals due to incomplete Aadhaar seeding and lack of required ration cards. According to the finance department, nearly one crore women out of the 2.43 crore registered beneficiaries may not qualify for the scheme.
The state’s debt burden is already projected to reach ₹7.82 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024-25. Officials warn that continuing the scheme in its current form could impact the government’s ability to pay salaries by January. Despite these concerns, the ruling coalition is hesitant to reduce the beneficiary list, likely due to the upcoming civic elections.
Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik is expected to present renegotiation proposals to the new chief minister soon. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde credited the scheme for increasing the number of women voters and boosting the coalition’s vote share. NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar also acknowledged the scheme’s role in mobilising women voters.
Other welfare measures introduced by the government include an electricity bill waiver for farmers and three free LPG cylinders annually for six million households. However, the financial viability of such initiatives remains a pressing concern.
