Mumbai, July 27 -- More than 14,000 men have fraudulently claimed benefits under Maharashtra's women-only Ladki Bahin Yojana, a state government report has shown, highlighting massive systemic failures in a scheme credited with helping the Mahayuti coalition secure electoral victory last year. The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme, which provides Rs.1,500 monthly to eligible women aged 21-65 from low-income families, has lost Rs.1,640 crore to ineligible beneficiaries over the past 12 months, according to the latest scrutiny report by the state women and child development department. Of this staggering amount, Rs.21.44 crore, went to 14,298 men who misrepresented their identities to enroll in the scheme designed exclusively for women's health, nutrition and general well-being. These fraudulent male beneficiaries received payments for 10 months before being detected and had their accounts frozen. The scheme, announced ahead of the November assembly elections, proved politically transformative for the Mahayuti government. Before the polls, the state had already disbursed Rs.7,500 to 23.4 million women, helping the coalition sweep to power. However, the programme's rapid implementation has come at a cost. The state currently spends Rs.3,700 crore monthly to support 24.1 million beneficiaries, while struggling with widespread eligibility violations that have exposed serious governance gaps. P3...