Bengaluru, (IANS) Interacting with Karnataka's BJP women cadres through his mobile app, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asked them to popularise his government's schemes ahead of the May 12 Assembly polls.

"We need to expose the hollow promises made by the Congress and urge the people of Karnataka to join the journey of development," Modi told the Bharatiya Janata Party women workers through the Narendra Modi mobile app.

Listing various women-oriented schemes promoted by the Centre, Modi asked them to connect with other women across each of the state's 224 constituencies.

"We will win the election, but for us (BJP) it is important to win the polling booth," he said.

The BJP-led Union government is keen on giving equal opportunities to women in the society and wants to support them at every stage, whether they want to be a homemaker, job seeker or job creator, added Modi in the 40-minute audio-video interaction.

An estimated nine crore women across the country have benefitted from the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) scheme, which provides loans for small and micro enterprises, he said.

Nearly Rs 12 crore worth loans have been given out under the PMMY scheme, of which more than 70 per cent beneficiaries were women, the Prime Minister said.

Programmes like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which provides LPG gas to women from below poverty line (BPL) households, have also benefitted several women, he added.

Modi highlighted that the central government had increased the paid maternity leave from the earlier 12 weeks to 26 weeks for women in the organised sector.

"When the contribution of women in the country increases, the development of the country is ensured," said Modi.