Pawar Rises Concern Over ‘Money Distribution’ Ahead of Elections

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar has raised concerns over the distribution of funds through government schemes ahead of elections, warning that such practices could erode public trust in the electoral process.

When asked about his views on the Bihar Assembly election results, Mr. Pawar said he had gathered information indicating a decisive role played by women voters. “The polling for the Bihar elections is complete. I spoke to some people afterward. From them, I received information that women had taken the voting process into their own hands in the Bihar elections,” he said.

The former Union minister referred to the Bihar government’s ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana’, launched in September 2025, which provides Rs 10,000 in seed money via DBT to over one crore women for starting micro-businesses. “There was a suspicion that the extent of women’s large-scale participation in the voting suggests it must be the result of the scheme to give Rs 10,000 into their accounts,” he said.

Drawing a parallel to Maharashtra, Mr. Pawar added, “Even in Maharashtra, money was officially distributed before the election, not like giving money for every vote, but money was given through a government scheme, meaning the Ladki Bahin (Dear Sister) scheme.”

Mr. Pawar questioned the implications of such measures for future elections. “The question now is that if those in power in the next elections adopt a stance of facing the election after distributing money in this manner before the voting, it will hurt the people’s faith in the electoral process,” he said.

Calling for wider deliberation and regulatory scrutiny, the NCP (SP) leader added, “Is it right to distribute money on such a large scale? Everyone should think about this. The Election Commission should also consider this seriously. Elections should be held in a clean and transparent manner.”