Maharashtra | Shinde’s freebies gambit

A Rs 1,500 monthly stipend for women. Three free LPG refills per annum. Free pilgrimages for senior citizens. Free professional education for women from weaker sections. This is the basket of goodies that the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government has announced for the people. But the motive is not lost on anyone. After a drubbing in this year’s Lok Sabha election, where the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won 31 out of the 48 parliamentary seats in the state, the ruling Mahayuti coalition is pulling out all the stops ahead of the assembly election due later this year.