Women Voters Set To Influence Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024

Women voters in Jharkhand outnumber men in 32 constituencies, influencing assembly elections on November 13 and 20. Political parties are targeting this demographic with tailored promises.

In Jharkhand, women voters are set to have a significant impact in 32 assembly constituencies, including those of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and former CM Champai Soren. In these areas, women outnumber men on the electoral roll. Of these constituencies, 26 are reserved for scheduled tribes. The elections for the 81-seat Jharkhand assembly will occur in two phases on November 13 and November 20.

The counting of votes is scheduled for November 23. Hemant Soren has submitted his nomination from Barhait, where female voters surpass male voters. Barhait has over 2.25 lakh registered voters, with women accounting for 1.15 lakh and men for 1.09 lakh. Similarly, in Saraikela, there are over 3.69 lakh electors, with women slightly outnumbering men.

Women Voters' Influence

Champai Soren, a former chief minister and BJP candidate, is contesting from Saraikela. He joined the BJP on August 30 due to feeling "insulted" by JMM leaders. Both Barhait and Saraikela are among the constituencies where women voters exceed male voters. This trend highlights the potential influence of female voters in the upcoming elections.

Jharkhand's assembly consists of 28 tribal reserved seats, nine for scheduled castes, and the remaining are general category seats out of a total of 81 constituencies. The Majhgaon constituency in West Singhbhum district has the highest number of female voters compared to males, with 1.21 lakh women against 1.12 lakh men as per the electoral roll.

Political Strategies Targeting Women

To attract female voters, political parties are actively campaigning with targeted promises. The BJP has introduced Gogo Didi Yojana to counter the JMM-led alliance's Maiyan Samman Yojana aimed at appealing to women voters. Under Maiyan Samman Yojana, ₹1,000 is credited monthly to over 50 lakh women's accounts in Jharkhand.

Hemant Soren announced that if re-elected, this amount would increase to ₹2,500 monthly starting December. Meanwhile, the BJP's manifesto pledges ₹2,100 per month to women's accounts if they form a government in Jharkhand.

Electoral Demographics

The state has approximately 2.60 crore electors: around 1.31 crore males and 1.29 crore females compared to about 2.23 crore in the previous elections held in 2019. There are also about 11.84 lakh first-time voters and over one lakh individuals with disabilities or belonging to third-gender categories expected to vote.

The upcoming elections highlight an increased focus on female voter engagement by political parties through various schemes and promises aimed at securing their support.