BJP leader queues up for ‘Yuva Sathi’ scheme in Hooghly, TMC calls it ‘victory of development politics’

Amid heightened political rhetoric ahead of the Assembly elections, a fresh controversy erupted in Arambagh of Hooghly district after a local BJP woman leader was seen standing in line to avail benefits under the Bengal government’s ‘Yuva Sathi’ scheme. A photograph of Sudeshna Adhikari Mohanta, Convenor of the Arambagh Town BJP Mahila Morcha, filling out a form at the Goghat-2 Block Office quickly triggered sharp reactions from the ruling Trinamool Congress.

When Mohanta arrived at the camp on Friday, she initially told mediapersons that she had come to apply on behalf of her son. However, it later emerged that the application form submitted carried her own name as the beneficiary. During the interaction, she praised the scheme and thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stating that the funds come from the government treasury and are the right of every citizen. She described the ₹1,500 monthly assistance for educated unemployed youth as a small yet necessary step toward self-reliance.

The development provided ammunition to the Trinamool Congress, which termed the episode a validation of its welfare initiatives. Goghat-2 Block Trinamool President Soumen Digar said BJP leaders publicly label the scheme an “election stunt” but privately seek to benefit from it. He claimed the incident reflects the growing acceptance of the Chief Minister’s welfare policies, even among political opponents.

The Yuva Sathi scheme, recently launched by the state government, offers monthly financial assistance to unemployed youth aged between 21 and 40. Registration camps across the state have reportedly witnessed heavy turnout, turning the scheme into a focal point of political debate as election campaigning gathers momentum.