As the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are nearing, the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government is reportedly considering a financial aid of Rs 50,000 for women. The assistance was declared days after the Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Kumar Yadav promised a sum of Rs 40,000 to the state women under the 'Stree Samman-Samriddhi Yojana’, given it formed the government.

What did UP CM say?

CM Yogi said he has not specified the amount or clarified the mechanism through which the money will reach beneficiaries. “I assure women present here that our double-engine government is going to bring an attractive package for their economic self-reliance," Adityanath said on November 3 in Lucknow.

Significantly, the state government is examining a proposal under which eligible women could receive financial assistance of up to Rs 50,000. The chief minister is seized of the matter, indicating that the proposal is under consideration at the highest level, they said.

If the aid is implemented, it would offer a political and electoral advantage to the BJP, as women’s welfare and direct financial assistance have emerged as important components of electoral strategies across states. The proposed Rs 50,000 assistance will also exceed the Rs 40,000 financial commitment made by Akhilesh Yadav.

The state government, however, is yet to settle on the implementation mechanism if it has to be realised. According to a senior BJP functionary, two broad options are being examined.

The first one is to provide the assistance as a one-time direct benefit transfer (DBT) into the bank accounts of eligible women. The second possibility is to channel the financial assistance through existing government welfare programmes, including the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana, Nirashrit Mahila Pension Yojana or Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana among various women-centric schemes that are up and running.

According to News 18, a final decision on the structure of the aid, the eligibility criteria and the mode of disbursement is yet to be taken.

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Stree Samman Sammridhi Yojana

The Samajwadi Party (SP) announced the Stree Samman Sammridhi Yojana for the upcoming 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Introduced by party leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav, the initiative is proposed as a cornerstone for women's financial independence and social empowerment in the state.

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The scheme promises to provide Rs 40,000 annually to eligible women. The party has stated that this amount will be progressively increased every year. The name 'Stree' (Woman) was deliberately chosen to encompass individuals of the female gender across all age groups, rather than restricting the focus to a narrow age bracket, Jagran.com reported.

Beyond direct cash transfers, the initiative outlines plans to distribute mobile phones and laptops, provide vocational training and education, and offer bicycle distribution for students. The party has also linked its empowerment agenda with promises of 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs, the report added. The initiative is currently a political campaign promise and has not been officially implemented.

Uttar Pradesh has a little over 6 crore women voters on the latest electoral rolls, making them a substantial electoral constituency. In the 2022 assembly election, female voter turnout was around 62.24 per cent, higher than men’s 59.56 per cent. The announcement of schemes could bring a major difference in the voter turnout in the 2027 Assembly Elections.