“We win because of Modi, not freebies”: Himanta Biswa Sarma defends women welfare scheme

Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam, has rejected allegations that the state government’s direct benefit schemes for women are linked to elections, asserting that the programme is a controlled welfare initiative driven by compassion rather than political calculations.

Speaking on the issue, Sarma said Assam has been transferring funds directly to women beneficiaries for the past six years, making it one of the earliest states to adopt such a model. 

He stressed that the scheme is limited to specific categories of women and is implemented under strict eligibility criteria.

The Chief Minister explained that beneficiaries are selected based on seven defined conditions, including widows, divorced or distressed women, families with cancer or thalassemia patients, and households with differently-abled children. According to him, only those facing genuine hardship qualify for assistance.

Sarma said the programme should not be labelled as a “freebie,” arguing that the financial support is provided only to vulnerable sections of society. He added that if the intention had been electoral gain, the benefits would have been distributed universally rather than selectively.

Highlighting the ruling party’s electoral performance, Sarma said the BJP’s victories in Assam were due to the leadership of Narendra Modi rather than welfare transfers. He pointed out that the party won 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state and secured leads in 96 Assembly segments without distributing any money ahead of the general elections.

The Chief Minister said the electoral mandate reflects public support for the BJP’s governance and leadership rather than the impact of welfare schemes alone.