Delhi BJP hits back at AAP over Delhi Laxmi Yojana misinformation claims
Synopsis
Delhi BJP has turned AAP's attack on the Delhi Laxmi Yojana into a counter-offensive, pointing out that AAP's own Punjab government runs a near-identical residency-restricted scheme. With the application portal live from 1 August and ₹2,500 monthly transfers promised to eligible women, the scheme is already shaping up as the central battleground in Delhi's next political cycle.
Key Takeaways
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor on 2 August accused AAP Convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj of spreading misinformation about the Delhi Laxmi Yojana .
BJP noted that AAP's Punjab government's Behan Beti Yojana also restricts benefits to permanent women residents of the state.
Kapoor pointed out that the Arvind Kejriwal government made MLA recommendation mandatory for welfare schemes in 2018 .
The Delhi Laxmi Yojana application portal opened on 1 August , offering eligible women ₹2,500 per month .
BJP claims the scheme fulfils a 2025 election manifesto promise in just 17 months , contrasting it with AAP's alleged decade of unfulfilled ₹1,000 monthly allowance promises.
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Media Head and spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor on Sunday, 2 August sharply rebuked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj for his remarks on the Delhi Laxmi Yojana, accusing him of spreading misinformation about the scheme's eligibility criteria. Kapoor said Bharadwaj's comments only reflect the frustration of a leader whose party was voted out of power.
The Eligibility Argument
Kapoor pointed out that Bharadwaj had apparently overlooked a key parallel: the AAP-governed Punjab government's own Behan Beti Yojana similarly restricts benefits to permanent women residents of that state. He argued that if Bharadwaj had examined Punjab's scheme before criticising Delhi's, he would have found that residency-based eligibility is a standard condition across welfare programmes — including those run by AAP itself.
Kapoor further noted that all existing social pension schemes in Delhi — including old-age pension and widow pension — already prescribe a minimum period of residence as an eligibility requirement. He questioned how Bharadwaj, having served 11 years as a Minister and MLA in Delhi, could be unaware of this.
MLA Recommendation Row
On the contentious issue of requiring an MLA's recommendation for scheme beneficiaries, Kapoor turned the charge back on AAP. He stated that it was the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government that made MLA recommendation mandatory in 2018 for any resident seeking benefits under Delhi government welfare schemes. He asked how Bharadwaj could conveniently forget a policy his own party introduced.
BJP Defends the Scheme's Launch
Earlier on Sunday, Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra and General Secretary Yogita Singh welcomed the opening of the Delhi Laxmi Yojana application portal from 1 August, calling it the fulfilment of a key promise from the BJP's 2025 election manifesto — delivered, they said, in just 17 months under the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government.
Malhotra contrasted the BJP's record with AAP's, alleging that the previous Kejriwal government spent 10 years promising women a monthly allowance of ₹1,000 without disbursing a single rupee. 'In contrast, the BJP government has not only fulfilled its promise in just 17 months but has also fulfilled the aspirations of needy women by providing ₹2,500,' Malhotra said.
What Happens Next
Kapoor assured that within the next three years, the BJP-led Delhi government will ensure every eligible woman resident receives the scheme's benefits. The back-and-forth signals that the Delhi Laxmi Yojana — a direct cash transfer of ₹2,500 per month to eligible women — is set to become a flashpoint in Delhi's political arena ahead of future electoral cycles.
Point of View
Not mere rhetoric. But the deeper question the political noise obscures is implementation: Delhi's welfare delivery record under multiple governments has been patchy, and a ₹2,500 monthly transfer at scale demands robust beneficiary verification. The MLA recommendation requirement — whichever party introduced it — remains a structural bottleneck that can delay access for the most vulnerable women. Whether BJP delivers in three years, as Kapoor promises, will ultimately matter far more than who wins this press conference exchange.
NationPress
3 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Delhi Laxmi Yojana?
The Delhi Laxmi Yojana is a welfare scheme launched by the BJP-led Delhi government under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta that provides eligible women residents of Delhi a monthly financial assistance of ₹2,500. The application portal for the scheme opened on 1 August 2025.
Why is AAP criticising the Delhi Laxmi Yojana?
AAP Convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj raised objections to the scheme's eligibility conditions, including residency requirements and the MLA recommendation clause. Delhi BJP has dismissed these as misinformation, arguing that AAP's own Punjab government applies similar conditions under its Behan Beti Yojana.
What is the MLA recommendation controversy about?
The Delhi Laxmi Yojana requires an MLA's recommendation for a beneficiary to avail its benefits. BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor countered AAP's criticism on this point by noting that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government itself made MLA recommendation mandatory for Delhi welfare schemes in 2018.
How does the Delhi Laxmi Yojana compare to AAP's earlier promise?
BJP claims AAP promised women in Delhi a monthly allowance of ₹1,000 over 10 years of governance but never disbursed it. The BJP government, by contrast, says it has delivered ₹2,500 per month within 17 months of coming to power, as committed in its 2025 election manifesto.
When will all eligible women receive the scheme's benefits?
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor has stated that within three years, the BJP-led Delhi government aims to ensure every eligible woman resident of Delhi receives the benefits of the Delhi Laxmi Yojana.
