Kejriwal Turns Santa for Delhi Women, But With a Post-Dated Cheque!
In what feels like a scene straight out of a political soap opera, AAP’s national boss and part-time trouble magnet, Arvind Kejriwal, unveiled the Delhi government’s Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana on Thursday. The scheme promises to sprinkle ₹2,100 every month into the bank accounts of women aged 18 and above—an upgrade from the ₹1,000 previously planned. Call it inflation or a sudden bout of generosity; either way, it’s raining rupees (on paper, at least).
However, before anyone gets too excited about this monetary magic, there’s a catch. Registration for the scheme kicks off on Friday, but the first instalment won’t hit anyone’s bank account until after the Delhi Assembly polls in February. Why, you ask? Well, apparently, the “model code of conduct” is the new Grinch that steals Christmas, or at least election-season announcements.
Naturally, the BJP isn’t buying the promises wrapped in shiny press conferences. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva dismissed the announcement as a “ploy to mislead women.” He also pointed out that AAP missed its own September deadline for the scheme—because why deliver on time when you can deliver during campaign season?
The scheme itself was dreamt up during the 2024-25 budget presentation when Mr. Kejriwal was still wearing the Chief Minister crown. With ₹2,000 crore earmarked and 45 lakh women as the target beneficiaries, AAP seems to be counting on this move to charm its way into another term. It’s like Oprah, but instead of “You get a car!” it’s “You get ₹2,100!”—someday.
But why the delay? According to Kejriwal, it wasn’t procrastination, but prison. Yes, the man claims he was too busy being arrested in a “fake case” related to the infamous Delhi excise policy. After securing bail from the Supreme Court (with some quirky conditions like “don’t touch those official files unless absolutely necessary”), Kejriwal joined forces with CM Atishi to revive the scheme.
Meanwhile, the Finance Department is reportedly clutching its pearls over the potential “heavy burden” on the State’s budget. But Atishi, the co-captain of Team AAP, has dismissed these concerns, calling the scheme a lifeline for the women of Delhi. In political terms, this roughly translates to, “We’ll cross that fiscal cliff when we get there.”
So, while the promise of ₹2,100 may sound like a jackpot for Delhi’s women, the real question is—will it be delivered, or will it end up as just another political IOU? Stay tuned for the next episode of AAP-tastic Announcements!