NCP wants Ladki Bahin scheme named after Ajit Pawar to honour the late deputy CM

Kolhapur: NCP has demanded that the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme be named after the late deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, saying the scheme continued without hurdles due to his financial discipline while he held the finance portfolio.MLC Amol Mitkari made this demand to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. "The scheme started for women is not just a financial scheme, but to give our sisters the honour they deserve. Ajitdada, throughout his life, worked for women's empowerment. He gave the much-needed support to the scheme. Therefore, to honour his legacy and remember his contributions, I demand that the Ladki Bahin scheme be named after him," Mitkari said.Hasan Mushrif, minister of medical education and senior NCP functionary, speaking at a ZP election rally, said, "We all brought this scheme. I say this because we all are in power. But the keys to the state coffers were with Ajit Pawar. Women and child development minister Aditi Tatkare, who belongs to our party, signed the scheme. Therefore, I say we have the right to claim the scheme. Now, after Ajitdada, the CM currently has the finance portfolio, and by his signature, the payout will be made. However, he has assured that he would return the finance portfolio to NCP after the legislative assembly session."'Recently, in zilla parishad poll rallies, Shiv Sena chief and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde had said that he had started the Ladki Bahin scheme to shield women from suffering the way his mother and wife had while managing household expenses every month. He also said that, with him at the helm of affairs, no one would stop the implementation of the scheme. Mahayuti functionaries credit the scheme for the landslide victory in the assembly election.Ajit Pawar died in an aircraft crash near Baramati on Jan 28.