BJP leader’s call to ‘lock up’ Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries during polls sparks row in West Bengal

A West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party leader’s remark, advising men to lock up their wives who are beneficiaries of the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme to prevent them from voting during the elections, has triggered a political row in the State. The Trinamool Congress leadership has reacted sharply, calling it an “anti-women” stance.

Kalipada Sengupta, a member of the BJP’s State committee of BJP, had made the controversial statement at a public meeting at Ghatal in Paschim Medinipur district.

“When wives go to vote for Trinamool after getting Lakshmi Bhandar, their husbands should keep them locked up in their houses,” she said.

The Lakshmir Bhandar scheme was launched by the State government in February 2021, ahead of the last Assembly election. It now provides cash incentives to over 2.23 crore women in the State. All women in the general category, between the ages of 25 and 60 years, are entitled to ₹1,000 per month, while those from reserved categories are entitled to ₹1,200 per month under the scheme envisaged by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Over the past few years, this scheme is believed to have held the women electorate firmly behind the Trinamool Congress, despite incidents of attacks against women in the State.

After attempting to delete legitimate voters in the State, the BJP leadership is indulging in “feudal and patriarchal barbarism by urging husbands to lock up their wives at home, so women empowered by Lakshmir Bhandar can’t step out to vote,” said Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee.

“BJP has threatened to scrap Lakshmir Bhandar the day they seize power...? In 2026, those very women you want caged will march to the polling booths in millions and bury your regressive, Bangla-Birodhi, Nari-Birodhi politics forever,” Mr. Banerjee said.

State Minister and senior Trinamool leader Sashi Panja said that the way BJP leaders are openly trying to intimidate and terrorise the women of Bengal is nothing short of shameful. “Let it be made clear: if women choose, they have every right to file FIRs against these threats,” she added.

Ms. Sengupta’s remarks come at a time when the State BJP leadership as well as Union Home Minister Amit Shah have assured voters that no existing scheme will be scrapped if the BJP comes to power after the 2026 Assembly election.