The disbursement of cash to women under the West Bengal government’s Annapurna Bhandar scheme has given a handle to the Opposition parties to target the Suvendu Adhikari government. 

Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee took the opportunity on Monday (August 24, 2026) to target the Bharatiya Janata Party government. “Before the election, the BJP did not discuss eligibility to receive the money. Will the BJP now decide who is eligible? Why are women not receiving money under the Annapurna scheme? Women are being given benefits based on caste and religion,” the former Chief Minister said.

Women in different parts of the State came out in protest last week, alleging that they have been denied benefits of ₹3000 per month under the scheme. Mr. Banerjee had launched a scheme to give cash to women in the State in 2021, and before the change of regime, the number of beneficiaries who were receiving the benefits of ₹1500 per month had climbed up to 2.2 crore.

On Monday (August 24, 2026), Ms. Banerjee assured women who have been denied benefits that she will stand by them. “Take down the names of those who are being deprived of Lakshmir Bhandar and Annapurna Yojana benefits. They will be contacted. I was with you, I am with you, and I will remain with you,” the Trinamool Congress chairperson said.

Alleging that the BJP government has denied her permission to hold public meetings, Ms. Banerjee also added that those who think she will retire from politics simply because of permission being denied permission are mistaken. “Our fight will not stop until the BJP itself is forced into political retirement,” she said.

Hours later Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that 1.45 crore beneficiaries have been disbursed with Annapurna Yojana funds. The Chief Minister tried to defend the fact that beneficiaries of Annapurna Bhandar are being scrutinised and said that if the scheme was universal, then why was it promised to women between 25 and 60 years of age during the Trinamool Congress regime.

Mr. Adhikari refuted allegations of Muslim being denied benefits under the scheme and said that about 19.20 lakh Muslims have got benefits under the scheme. “ Those eligible, whether Hindu or Muslim, Trinamool or BJP, have received the benefits,” the Chief Minister said. Mr. Adhikari said that a portal has been opened where people can lodge complaints for denial of benefits and also complain if anyone who is non-deserving is getting benefits of the scheme.

The Bhabanipur MLA, who had defeated the former Chief Minister on two occasions in 2026 and 2021, took a swipe at Ms. Banerjee who has been going live on social media rather than holding press conferences.

“Stay on Facebook, we will make arrangements so that she cannot go out on the streets,” Mr. Adhikari said.

The Trinamool Congress criticised the Bharatiya Janta Party government’s Annapurna Bhandar scheme in West Bengal, on account of the tedious form-filling process. The Congress State president also wrote to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to make the process simpler. 

“Assurances before the vote; only memories after the votes,” TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee wrote on his social media on Friday (May 29, 2026), taking a dig at the form. He also shared an alleged mock-up form that was shared by the BJP before the elections which was only half a page, and also shared photos of the 11-page form recently published by the new government. 

The Annapurna Bhandar is a social security scheme where women of the State will get a direct cash transfer of ₹3,000 to their banks every month. The previous TMC government had launched the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme in 2021 and reached almost 2.4 crore women across the State. The TMC government paid ₹1,500 per woman, and the BJP made a poll promise to double the dolls once they came to power. 

The Annapurna Bhandar scheme form asks for details like Citizenship (Amendment) Act status, whether names were deleted under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, social status of people, vaccination status of children, number of literate and illiterate family members, bank account details of family members, status of health insurance, total land holding of family, etc. 

Taking a dig at this, TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh asked why social welfare schemes are becoming conditional under the BJP. “So the new @BJP4Bengal Minister’s logic is simple: If you didn’t take the vaccine provided by the Government of India, don’t bother seeking benefits from Government of India welfare schemes!!!” he wrote on his social media. 

Mr Ghosh also raised questions about why women have to give details of their whole family when the cash transfer benefit is solely for women.  

Meanwhile, netizens on social media have been making memes and sarcastic videos on the 11-page long form issued by the State government for the Annapurna Bhandar scheme. 

“One or two pages is still okay. How will we fill up such a huge form? We are not that educated? This money was supposed to be mine, why do I need to add my husband’s account details?” a woman asked. 

The scheme is set to be rolled out from June 1, but the uncertainty over the form-filling process has left many in doubt. 

“We can provide Aadhaar and voter cards, but the number of documents they are asking is not possible for illiterate people like us to provide. We have decided to just not fill out the form,” another woman who registered under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme said. 

Meanwhile, Congress State president Subhankar Sarkar wrote to the West Bengal CM stating that the long form filling up process was causing trouble among people. “I urge you to take immediate and necessary steps from the State government’s side to simplify the form issued for Annapurna Bhandar,” Mr Sarkar’s letter said on Friday (May 29, 2026).