Ayodhya: With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections only months away, the Yogi Adityanath government has announced a substantial increase in the honorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers, putting more money in the hands of a large grassroots workforce ahead of the 2027 electoral battle.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing Anganwadi workers and helpers at a programme in Ayodhya on Tuesday, announced that the monthly honorarium of Anganwadi workers would be increased from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000. The honorarium of helpers will rise from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000.
The government also announced a Rs 5 lakh health insurance cover for them and additional financial assistance for sarees.
Honorarium hike ahead of polls
The timing of the announcement is politically significant. Anganwadi workers are spread across villages, towns and urban settlements and remain closely connected with women, children and families through government welfare and nutrition programmes. Their network gives the government a direct presence at the grassroots, making any financial benefit to them potentially important as political parties begin preparing for the 2027 elections.
The increase means a 50 per cent rise in the honorarium of both workers and helpers. For workers, the monthly increase is Rs 4,000, while helpers will get an additional Rs 2,000 every month.
The announcement also fits into the Yogi government's broader effort to showcase welfare measures alongside infrastructure and development ahead of the election. The BJP is expected to seek a third consecutive term in Uttar Pradesh, while the opposition parties are trying to build a campaign around employment, inflation, welfare and social justice.
Yogi targets previous governments
Yogi used the Ayodhya programme to draw a political contrast with previous governments. He claimed that Anganwadi centres had earlier remained largely neglected and alleged that funds meant for them were misappropriated during the Samajwadi Party government.
"We have worked over the past nine years to bring discipline and a system to Anganwadi work," he said.
The Chief Minister also linked the improvement in the condition of Anganwadi workers with the transformation of Ayodhya under his government.
Taking a swipe at the Samajwadi Party and Congress, Yogi said the two parties had opposed the Ram temple and development projects in Ayodhya. He said the city had earlier suffered from poor roads and inadequate power supply but had now emerged as a major religious and development centre.
Political impact of announcement
The political message was clear. The government is seeking to present the benefits reaching ordinary workers as part of the larger transformation claimed by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
For the ruling BJP, the challenge before 2027 is not only to retain its core support but also to maintain its connect with different sections of voters. Financial benefits to workers associated with government welfare schemes could become an important part of that outreach.
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The opposition, meanwhile, is likely to question whether the increase is sufficient in view of the workload of Anganwadi workers and whether similar benefits should have been announced earlier.
The honorarium hike therefore comes at a politically sensitive time. As the election campaign gathers pace, the Yogi government's message is that those working at the grassroots are also beneficiaries of its governance model. The opposition's response will determine whether the move remains a welfare announcement or becomes another issue in the 2027 electoral contest.
