Kolkata, 15 April (H.S.) : With an eye on the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled a major welfare promise aimed at women voters. Former Union Minister Smriti Irani announced that if the BJP forms the government in the state, all women in West Bengal will receive a monthly financial assistance of ₹3,000.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Irani asserted that the benefit would be universal. “There will be no discrimination. Every woman in Bengal will receive ₹3,000 per month. This is BJP’s commitment,” she said. Her clarification comes amid earlier indications in the party’s manifesto that the scheme might be limited to women from lower and lower-middle-income groups, which had raised questions.

Senior BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari and Roopa Ganguly were also present at the event. The party launched the ‘Matrishakti Bharosa Card’ initiative and symbolically distributed cards to five women. BJP’s women’s wing has begun a door-to-door campaign to distribute these cards, collecting beneficiaries’ basic details such as name, address, and phone number.

Irani also launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that women are the most unsafe under her administration. She claimed that incidents of crimes against women in the state are a matter of serious concern. Responding to media queries, Irani said that women feel safer in states governed by the BJP.

She further reiterated that the party has already promised free travel for women in public transport if it comes to power. “Under a BJP government, no woman will have to think twice before stepping out at night,” she added, emphasizing the party’s commitment to women’s safety and empowerment.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh