On Friday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut questioned the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra, suggesting that increasing the honorarium and salaries of madrassa teachers could be seen as a form of “vote jihad”. He mentioned that the enactment of projects such as the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana or increasing the working capital of Maulana Azad Financial Corporation from Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,000 crore were being carried out with consideration to electoral calculations.
There is a high chance that state elections will take place next month. The current assembly’s term concludes on November 26. Doesn’t this (initiatives like Ladki Bahin and increase in madrassa teachers’ salaries) qualify as vote jihad? Raut said that if they had increased the salaries of those who teach children, the BJP would have accused them of vote jihad.
Naseem Khan, a leader in Congress, mentioned that the decision to increase the honorarium and salaries of madrassa teachers was made in anticipation of the upcoming elections. “Why isn’t the BJP acting on its leaders’ threats towards Muslims,” he inquired. Increasing the honorarium and salaries, as well as the working capital of the Maulana Azad Financial Corporation, is not intended to benefit Muslims but to prevent a repeat of the BJP’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“Nevertheless, we embrace both choices, regardless of the reasons behind them.” Khan declared that the ruling alliance’s defeat in the Maharashtra polls has started the countdown. In response, senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya retaliated by stating that the government has not raised the salaries of Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut, whose party engaged in vote jihad during the Lok Sabha elections.
Somaiya claimed that the BJP’s Mahayuti government does not make distinctions based on religion for health and education. In the beginning of this month, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attributed the loss of Mahayuti alliance in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra to vote jihad. According to a decision made by the cabinet, Maulana Azad Financial Corporation’s working capital will increase from Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,000 crore. The stipend for madrasa teachers holding a D.Ed qualification will rise from Rs 6,000 to Rs 16,000, and teachers with a BA, B.Ed will also see an increase. The cost of BSc degrees will increase from Rs 8,000 to Rs 18,000.