Welfare Dole Vs 'Chaakri': Will Bengal's 'Lakshmis' Tilt The Balance In Didi's Favour Again?

Last Updated:April 09, 2026, 10:35 IST

Unlike many states, where direct cash transfers to women have been accompanied by job opportunities, many women in Bengal have ended up becoming the sole earners in households

Two words have become the barometer for testing electoral strength in the battle for Bengal—Chaakri (jobs) and Mey (women). Both the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are leaning heavily on these factors to swing votes in their favour.

Bengal has around 50 per cent women voters, who have been the mainstay of Mamata Banerjee’s political success. Schemes like Kanyashree and Lakshmir Bhandar have helped her win over Bengali women. This time, the TMC has increased the Lakshmir Bhandar payout to Rs 1,500.

Women in the state are pleased, but not entirely content. Unlike in many other states, where direct cash transfers to women have been accompanied by job opportunities, many women in Bengal have ended up becoming the sole earners in their households.

As major companies like Google and Microsoft remain reluctant to set up operations in the state, finding jobs remains a challenge. As a result, many households are left to fend for themselves with the meagre Rs 1,500 coming in. This, many argue, does not translate into empowerment. In several cases, women told News18 that it simply adds to their burden of running the household. “It’s good to get Rs 1,500, but how can we live on such little money? I need a job," says Lata, who runs a small shakha-pola shop in Kalighat, which is, ironically, Mamata Banerjee’s own constituency.

This is where the BJP is trying to capitalise. It is promising chaakri if it comes to power, while also pitching the idea of a “double-engine sarkar" that it claims will attract industry and generate employment.

Alongside this is the issue of women’s safety. The BJP has released several advertisements citing incidents in Sandeshkhali, RG Kar, and Park Street to argue that women are not safe, even under a woman chief minister. It alleges that TMC leaders pose a threat to women and are shielded by Mamata Banerjee.

News18 travelled back to Sandeshkhali a year later. The fear remains palpable. Attempts to get women to speak openly had to be abandoned. Many feigned ignorance; some insisted that TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh had done no wrong. Most, however, appeared worried about what would happen if the TMC returns to power and they are seen as having spoken out against him. The BJP is keen to highlight this climate of fear, arguing that in Banerjee’s Bengal, Lakshmis are not safe.

The TMC, for its part, is banking on a powerful counter-image: that of a lone woman taking on the BJP. Several campaign films project Mamata Banerjee as a tigress—a narrative that worked in the last election. Whether it will resonate again remains to be seen.

The BJP, meanwhile, appears to have learned from its past mistakes. It has largely avoided personal attacks on Banerjee, choosing instead to focus on issues like jobs and women’s safety. It is also trying to shed the “outsider" tag that the TMC successfully attached to it in the previous election, keeping its Delhi leadership less prominently in the foreground. The question now is: will Bengal’s Lakshmis tilt the balance this time?

News elections Welfare Dole Vs 'Chaakri': Will Bengal's 'Lakshmis' Tilt The Balance In Didi's Favour Again?

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