The Election Commission of India’s (EC) silence on the payment of ₹10,000 each to women beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (MMRY) in Bihar, where the Assembly election is in progress, marks a stark contrast to the position taken by the Commission in Tamil Nadu in the past under similar circumstances.

Aimed at covering 75 lakh women, the MMRY, a State-funded assistance scheme, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 26. Ten days later, on October 6, the poll body announced its decision to conduct the election in two phases – November 6 and 11 – for the 243 Assembly constituencies in the State.

Leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Congress have protested against the implementation of the scheme, which, according to them, goes against th

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