India, Nov. 3 -- LUCKNOW Setting the stage for a high-stakes welfare battle ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday announced that the BJP government will soon roll out a special financial package aimed at making women economically self-reliant.

Alongside the pitch to the state's aadhi abadi (women voters), the CM announced an immediate relief package for three crore farmers hit by unseasonal rains and the launch of subsidised 'Annapoorna' canteens for labourers and farmers across the state.

The categorical announcement, possibly modelled along the lines of BJP's pre-poll direct cash transfer schemes in states like Bihar and West Bengal, is expected to force Opposition parties to rec...