Kolkata, Feb 10 (PTI) With next year's assembly elections in mind, the TMC government is gearing up to highlight social security, welfare schemes, and women empowerment in its upcoming state budget, as these initiatives have been key to its electoral success in recent years.

Minister of State for Finance (Independent Charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya is scheduled to present the budget for the financial year 2025-26 on Wednesday evening.

As this will be the last full-fledged budget before the 2026 assembly elections, it is expected to include several populist measures aimed at securing voter support.

According to party sources, the government will place significant focus on two key initiatives: the 'Banglar Bari' housing scheme and 'Lakshmir Bhandar', a financial assistance programme for women.

Both schemes are likely to receive substantial attention in the budget with increased allocations.

Government sources suggest that the budget will include major announcements such as increased funding for infrastructure, healthcare, education and social welfare initiatives.

Enhancements in direct cash transfer schemes and the expansion of financial assistance programmes for economically weaker sections are anticipated.

Additionally, the government is expected to consider a hike in the dearness allowance for state employees.

A senior TMC leader said, “There are likely to be enhancements in direct cash transfer schemes. The finance department is considering a hike in the allowances under Lakshmir Bhandar.” In the 2024-25 budget, the state allocated an additional Rs 12,000 crore to the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, increasing the monthly allowance to Rs 1,000 for general category women and Rs 1,200 for SC/ST women. This move was considered crucial in securing women’s support during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Women voters have become an essential part of West Bengal’s electorate, with higher turnout rates than men in recent elections. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the state had 3.73 crore women voters, just 12 lakh fewer than the 3.85 crore male voters.

The number of registered women voters increased by 9.8 per cent from 2019 to 2024.

Given the growing influence of women voters, all political parties are focusing on securing their support ahead of the 2026 elections.

Women, along with minorities who make up 30 per cent of the electorate, have traditionally been strong support bases for the TMC.

Despite certain challenges, such as the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, which has affected the TMC’s image among urban women, the party is expected to make every effort to retain its dedicated voter base, particularly among women and minorities.

The government’s focus on welfare schemes, which has been evident in previous budgets, is likely to be further intensified as the state heads into the 2026 elections.

The budget for 2024-25 represented an almost eight per cent increase over the previous year’s allocation of Rs 3.39 lakh crore. The Economic Review for 2023-24 highlighted that West Bengal’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) grew by 7.6 per cent, surpassing the national average of 7.32 per cent.

With the assembly elections just a year away, the TMC government is positioning this budget as a crucial tool to reinforce its commitment to social welfare and economic growth. PTI PNT NN

Women empowerment funding prioritized as budget emphasizes expanded cash transfers and housing scheme allocations ahead of elections. The budget prioritises increased allocations and entitlement enhancements for the Lakshmir Bhandar women's assistance programme and expanded funding for the Banglar Bari housing scheme, alongside strengthened direct cash transfer mechanisms, higher spending on infrastructure, healthcare, education and social welfare, and a proposed hike in dearness allowance for state employees to bolster purchasing power.