Lakshmir Bhandar To Continue: Why BJP Won't End Mamata's Flagship Scheme In Bengal

Last Updated:May 11, 2026, 14:47 IST

The TMC had repeatedly warned voters, especially women beneficiaries, that the BJP would shut down Lakshmir Bhandar & other direct-benefit schemes if it came to power in the state

For the Trinamool Congress and its chief Mamata Banerjee, Lakshmir Bhandar was not just a welfare scheme to be publicised during the 2026 West Bengal assembly election but one of the central political weapons of the campaign.

The TMC repeatedly warned voters, especially women beneficiaries, that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would shut down Lakshmir Bhandar and other direct-benefit schemes if it came to power in the state. Banerjee invoked the issue in every rally, attempting to turn the election into a choice between continuing Bengal’s welfare model or risking its rollback under a BJP government.

On the defensive, some BJP leaders, during the course of the campaign, assured voters that the scheme would continue—and even be enhanced—while others triggered a controversy by suggesting such welfare programmes could be reviewed or discontinued. The backlash eventually compelled the central leadership to clarify the party’s position, with new Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari deciding to clear the air on Monday.

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Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting at which six decisions were taken, Adhikari said: “No stop to Lakshmir Bhandar… all ongoing beneficiary schemes in Bengal won’t stop."

The scheme, which helped Banerjee tide over anti-incumbency in 2021, gives women between 25 and 60 years from a Scheduled Caste or Tribe up to Rs 1,200 per month, while those from other categories get Rs 1,000 monthly.

Apart from this, Adhikari also cleared the way for the Border Security Force (BSF) to acquire land along the Bangladesh border to finish fencing work aimed at curbing illegal immigration—an issue the BJP placed at the centre of its campaign. Throughout the election, the party accused the TMC of allowing a porous border that allegedly enabled undocumented migrants from Muslim-majority Bangladesh to enter India and remain undetected in return for electoral support.

Another key announcement was the rollout of the Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, in Bengal. Adhikari said all central welfare schemes carrying the Prime Minister’s name would now be implemented in the state, reversing Mamata Banerjee’s long-held position of resisting several Union government programmes. The former chief minister had often declined to adopt central schemes when Bengal already had its own version in place, as was the case with Ayushman Bharat.

The BJP’s performance in the 2026 polls marked its biggest breakthrough in the state’s political history, firmly establishing the saffron party as Bengal’s principal political force. What began as an aggressive expansion project after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections culminated in the BJP forming its first-ever government in the state, dramatically altering Bengal’s political landscape.

At the centre of that rise was Adhikari, who emerged as the BJP’s most influential face in Bengal after defecting from the TMC ahead of the 2021 polls. Adhikari steadily consolidated control over the party’s state machinery, built a formidable organisational network and positioned himself as the BJP’s chief anti-Mamata campaigner. His aggressive grassroots strategy, focus on welfare “leakages", and ability to mobilise support across south Bengal helped transform the BJP from an opposition challenger into a ruling force. His elevation as chief minister after the victory also capped one of the most dramatic political ascents in recent Bengal politics.

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