West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari reportedly said after the first cabinet meeting on Monday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal will not stop the flagship ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ of the former Mamata Banerjee-led government.
Several news reports, including Patrika, NDTV and News 18, quoted Suvenda as saying, “No stop to Lakshmir Bhandar…all ongoing beneficiary programs in Bengal will not stop.”
Adhikari’s comments reportedly came after he held a cabinet meeting in which six decisions were taken.
What is Lakshmir Bhandars Scheme and why is it important?
Lakshmir Bhandar was the flagship program launched by the Mamata Banerjee-led government in 2021 to provide financial assistance to women from the economically weaker sections of the society.
It was widely regarded as the ruling TMC’s most politically powerful social welfare program for women.
Ahead of the 2026 West Bengal elections, the TMC government has increased financial assistance under the ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme to ₹1,500 per month for general category a ₹1,700 for those in the reserved block (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes
The program included women residents of West Bengal, usually aged 25–60 years. Beneficiaries benefit from this direct cash transfer.
According to reports, the system helped her overcome anti-government sentiment for the 2021 elections.
Post-election analyzes of the 2021 elections showed that nearly two billion women benefited directly from the “Lakshmir Bhandar” scheme, which then provided between ₹500 a ₹1,000 per month, news agency PTI reported.
“In 2021, about 55-58 per cent women voters supported the TMC. This time, the equation seems to have changed. Financial incentives remain relevant, but may no longer be the sole determining factor,” a TMC leader told PTI.
“There is evidence of a wider exodus. Welfare schemes are increasingly seen as entitlements rather than electoral incentives,” he added.
The cornerstone of the BJP’s rise has been its aggressive “welfare war”.
While Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ was long seen as an impenetrable social safety net, the BJP’s ‘Bhoroshar Shopoth’ (Pledge of Trust) manifesto effectively turned the TMC’s greatest strength into a vulnerability.
By promising ₹3,000 per month, doubling the TMC’s proposed hike, the BJP has successfully captured the state’s massive women vote bank.
Suvendu Adhikari’s six decisions include:
> Allowing the Border Security Force (BSF) along the Bangladesh border to complete fencing to prevent illegal immigrants
> The introduction of the central government’s flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, along with many other central welfare projects such as the Prime Minister’s Jan Arogya Yojna, the Prime Minister’s Fasal Bima Yojna offering crop insurance for farmers, the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) program to modernize government schools, the Prime Minister’s Viswakarma program supporting artisans and craftsmen.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme for women education and empowerment and Ujwala 3.0 scheme for subsidized cooking gas connections would also be introduced in the state.
> Implementation of new penal laws – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
> Relaxation of the upper age limit for candidates participating in state employment examinations by five years
> Census circular from MHA to be executed immediately
> IAS, IPS officers released for central training
What to expect at the second meeting of the government?
“In the first meeting, decisions were taken only on files that were already prepared. More detailed political matters will come up in the next meeting,” Suvendu Adhikari said on Monday.
He said the second cabinet meeting of the West Bengal government is scheduled on May 18 where key decisions are expected to be taken on DA, implementation of the seventh pay commission and other administrative issues.
Addressing reporters, Adhikari said the meeting would also focus on measures to address crimes against women, institutional corruption and governance issues, including developments in the RG Kar case.
“I will hold another cabinet meeting next Monday where we will discuss the RG Kar issue, atrocities on women, institutional corruption and pay commission,” he said.
Adhikari said several important matters could not be discussed during the first Cabinet meeting due to lack of time.
