Pre-poll splurge: Fiscal recklessness a recipe for disaster
The Tribune Editorial: The Bihar government led by Nitish Kumar has distributed Rs 19,333 cr and the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra spent Rs 23,300 crore in November last year
Updated At : 07:30 AM Oct 23, 2025 IST
RULING parties of different hues have thrown state coffers wide open in a desperate bid to retain power. State governments have disbursed a whopping Rs 67,928 crore for populist welfare schemes in the run-up to eight major Assembly elections during the past two years. Maharashtra and Bihar, both ruled by the BJP-led NDA, are the top offenders. The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra spent Rs 23,300 crore under schemes like the women-centric Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana ahead of the November 2024 polls. The ploy worked, with female voters in particular tilting the scales in the Mahayuti’s favour.
