Why did ECI allow distribution of scheme funds during Bihar polls, asks Sharad Pawar

 Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday (November 15, 2025) said the entrepreneurship scheme for women played a role in the victory of the National Democratic Alliance in the Bihar elections, even as he wondered how the Election Commission allowed distribution of funds during the poll process.

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (United) combine had a landslide victory in the polls, Mr. Pawar said the BJP and JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar will jointly take a call on the Chief Minister.

“The outcome of the Bihar polls was not different from what was predicted by Nitish Kumar. Women took the election into their hands. I had earlier felt that a scheme under which ₹10,000 is deposited in bank accounts of women had generated a favourable effect (for NDA)”, Mr. Pawar told presspersons in Baramati.

He was referring to the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, a scheme under which a woman member of each family gets money for setting up a business.

He wondered how the poll body allowed the distribution of money under the scheme during elections.

“The Election Commission should think if the money distribution (by the Bihar government under the scheme) was correct”, the veteran politician said and raised concerns over the possible implementation of the Bihar template in future elections.

“During the Maharashtra polls too, the amount (under Ladki Bahin Scheme) was officially credited to the accounts of women. If ruling parties use a similar method in elections, it will hamper the trust of the people as well as the election process”, he added.

Alliance with nephew

Mr. Pawar did not give a direct answer to queries on possible alliances between the NCP (SP) and the NCP led by his estranged nephew and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for the upcoming elections to local bodies.

“I don’t know about talks (on alliance between the two factions of NCP) taking place in any districts. As per discussions held in the NCP (SP), local leaders will take a call (on forging alliance) during the Nagar Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti polls,” he added.