Maharashtra polls: Ladki Bahin throws a lifeline but inflation haunts women

How crucial is the Ladki Bahin Yojana for women in the state as rising costs and populist promises shape election decisions?

Saraswati Jadhav stands near the fence of her modest home, a growing impatience clouding her tired expression as she waits for news of her husband. 

 

A few days ago, he suffered a cardiac arrest, and since then, she has found herself perched on the edge of uncertainty, balancing between hope and fear. 

A resident of Mohadi, a village deep in Nashik’s agricultural belt — home to India’s grape capital—Jadhav works as a daily wage labourer. She earns a meagre Rs 250-300 a day, a sum that just about covers food and the basics. The economic rhythm she relies on can