A significant political controversy has erupted in Maharashtra just days before the civic body elections scheduled for January 15, 2026, across 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana', a state welfare scheme providing Rs 1,500 monthly financial aid to eligible women, became the focal point of the dispute. Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan had announced that beneficiaries of the scheme would receive a combined payment of Rs 3,000, covering both December 2025 and January 2026 installments, as a 'Makar Sankranti gift' before January 14. This announcement triggered strong protests from opposition parties, particularly the Congress, which alleged that the move was a deliberate attempt by the ruling Mahayuti government to influence over one crore women voters ahead of the polls and violated the Model Code of Conduct. The Congress party formally complained to the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC), urging it to intervene and stop the advance disbursement of funds. Responding to these complaints and after seeking a report from the state chief secretary, the SEC on Monday, January 12, 2026, issued a directive barring the state government from releasing the January installment in advance. The SEC clarified that while the regular December installment could be disbursed, the advance payment for January would violate the model code of conduct. The government, however, argued that the Ladki Bahin scheme is an ongoing welfare program and stopping payments would cause undue hardship to beneficiaries and amounted to discrimination. This intervention by the SEC underscores the heightened political climate surrounding the upcoming local body elections.