MP CM Mohan Yadav attacks Congress, highlights ₹55,000 crore Ladli Behna payouts
Synopsis
At a Ladli Behna fund-distribution event in Agar Malwa, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav declared that ₹55,000 crore had been transferred to beneficiaries — and used the platform to deliver one of his sharpest attacks yet on Rahul Gandhi and the Nehru-Gandhi family, signalling that the BJP intends to keep its welfare-versus-dynasty narrative front and centre.
Key Takeaways
MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav addressed a Ladli Behna Yojana fund-distribution event in Agar Malwa on 13 September .
The state government has transferred more than ₹55,000 crore to beneficiaries under the scheme since its launch.
Around four lakh women in the state are reportedly now running small and medium enterprises through the scheme's self-help network.
Yadav sharply criticised Rahul Gandhi and the Nehru-Gandhi family , questioning their electoral choices and political record.
Local announcements included a ₹4,000 crore potato-based industry and a new law college building linked to the Baba Baijnath shrine in Agar Malwa.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday, 13 September launched a sharp attack on the Congress leadership — including Rahul Gandhi and the Nehru-Gandhi family — while presiding over a fund-distribution event under the Ladli Behna Yojana in Agar Malwa. The Chief Minister said the state government had transferred more than ₹55,000 crore to beneficiaries under the scheme, dismissing earlier Congress claims that the programme would collapse for want of funds.
Attack on Congress Leadership
Yadav alleged that a leader was visiting the state 'bringing an echo of lies,' and claimed that neither Rahul Gandhi nor any member of his family had ever done genuine good for the country. He questioned why former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi — and their successors — never contested elections from Delhi, alleging they avoided the capital because its voters knew them too well, opting instead for Raebareli and Amethi.
Yadav also took aim at Rahul Gandhi's shift to the Wayanad constituency in Kerala, drawing laughter from the crowd by reportedly saying that people joked he had gone to Kerala only because the sea prevented him from going further. He accused the Congress of undermining the judiciary and the armed forces, while arguing that India's democratic institutions and technological infrastructure — including the Election Commission of India's systems — had earned global recognition, citing what he described as a reference by US President Donald Trump to India's identity-card model.
Ladli Behna Scheme: Scale and Impact
Turning to the flagship welfare programme, the Chief Minister said approximately four lakh women in Madhya Pradesh were now setting up small and medium enterprises, having evolved from self-help group members into entrepreneurs — categories the government describes as 'Namo Didis' and 'Lakhpati Didis'. He added that over 10,000 women from Agar Malwa alone were currently benefiting from the scheme.
The Ladli Behna Yojana, launched in 2023 by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state, provides monthly financial transfers directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts. It has been widely credited — including by political analysts — as a key factor in the BJP's strong showing in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.
Development Claims for Agar Malwa
Yadav highlighted what he described as a transformation of Agar Malwa under BJP governance, contrasting it with what he called a period of scattered housing and poor road infrastructure under previous Congress administrations. He cited improved road connectivity enabling travel to Ujjain in 40 minutes, upcoming four-lane highways, and the development of a potato-based industry reportedly valued at ₹4,000 crore. He also announced the construction of a law college building linked to the Baba Baijnath shrine in the area.
BJP's Law-and-Order Record
The Chief Minister recalled the elimination of Naxalism in Balaghat and the suppression of the dacoit menace in the Chambal region under earlier BJP administrations, presenting these as evidence of the party's commitment to security and governance. He maintained that the current government was working continuously for the welfare of women, farmers, youth, and the poor.
The event underscored the BJP's strategy of anchoring political messaging to direct-benefit transfers ahead of local and national electoral cycles — a model that critics argue blurs the line between governance and campaign activity.
Point of View
Ensuring that the scheme's beneficiaries and the party's political opponents share the same news cycle. The ₹55,000 crore figure is significant — it signals the government's commitment to sustaining the programme's financial credibility — but independent verification of how many of the claimed four lakh entrepreneurs have crossed meaningful income thresholds remains absent. More notably, the reference to US President Trump endorsing India's ID model is an extraordinary claim that has not been independently corroborated in this account, and deserves scrutiny. The Ladli Behna playbook has already proven electorally potent in 2023; the question is whether its political dividends hold as beneficiaries' expectations of the monthly transfer amount continue to rise.
NationPress
13 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ladli Behna Yojana in Madhya Pradesh?
The Ladli Behna Yojana is a direct-benefit transfer scheme launched by the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh in 2023, providing monthly cash transfers directly into the bank accounts of eligible women. The state government claims to have disbursed more than ₹55,000 crore to beneficiaries since the scheme's inception.
What did CM Mohan Yadav say about Rahul Gandhi?
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav alleged that Rahul Gandhi and the Nehru-Gandhi family had never genuinely served the country's interests. He also questioned why members of the family historically avoided contesting elections from Delhi, choosing Raebareli and Amethi instead, and mocked Rahul Gandhi's move to the Wayanad constituency in Kerala.
How many women are benefiting from the Ladli Behna scheme in Agar Malwa?
According to Chief Minister Yadav, over 10,000 women from Agar Malwa district alone are currently benefiting from the Ladli Behna Yojana. Statewide, he claimed around four lakh women have evolved from self-help group members into small and medium enterprise owners.
What development projects did Yadav announce for Agar Malwa?
Yadav announced a potato-based industry valued at ₹4,000 crore, upcoming four-lane road connectivity, and a new law college building linked to the Baba Baijnath shrine. He also highlighted improved road access enabling travel to Ujjain in approximately 40 minutes.
Why is the Ladli Behna Yojana politically significant for the BJP?
The scheme is widely regarded as a major factor behind the BJP's strong performance in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections. By linking financial transfers directly to women voters and framing the programme as a BJP-versus-Congress contrast, the party has used it as a centrepiece of its electoral and governance narrative in the state.
