Women voters to rewrite political script this poll in Jharkhand

New voters aged 18-19yrs, female voters are more then male voters

Deepak Mahato

Jamshedpur, Oct 17: Women in Jharkhand are on the cusp of changing the political landscape as their presence in the voter rolls has surged, positioning them as a decisive force in the upcoming assembly elections. The latest voter list reveals a striking rise in female voter numbers, marking a potential shift in power dynamics across the state.

According to the data of Election Commission, in the 2019 Assembly elections, there were 914 women for every 1,000 men in the voter pool. Fast forward to today, that number has climbed to 981 women per 1,000 men—a significant jump of 67 women voters for every 1,000 male voters. This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a game-changer.

The trend was already evident during the last Lok Sabha elections held in May-June, where the ratio of women voters stood at 963 per 1,000 men. In just a few months, 18 more women per 1,000 men have been added, further consolidating their influence.

Jharkhand now boasts a total of 1,31,44,236 male voters and a closely following 1,28,99,019 female voters. In a stunning revelation, 32 of the 81 Assembly seats have more women voters than men—making these constituencies potential battlegrounds where women hold the reins of power.

Among these critical seats are Borio, Barhait, Littipara, Pakur, Maheshpur, Shikaripara, Nala, Jamtara, Ghatshila, Potka, Jugsalai, Saraikela, Kharsawan, and more. Even more notably, 28 of these 32 constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) or Scheduled Castes (SC), further highlighting the impact women voters from marginalized communities are set to have.

In Majhgaon, female voters outnumber their male counterparts by a staggering 9,000. In Jaganathpur, the gap stands at 8,000, and eight other constituencies have seen women voters outpace men by 4,000 to 7,000. This demographic surge points to a reality no political party can afford to ignore: women voters are poised to sway the results in at least 40 per cent of Jharkhand’s Assembly seats.

And it’s not just in established voter categories where women are taking the lead. Among new voters aged 18-19, female voters in significant numbers are more then male voters. The state now has 6,65,818 women voters in this age group compared to 5,18,319 men, meaning 56 per cent of first-time voters are women.

This tidal wave of women voters could rewrite the political script in Jharkhand, as they are now poised to be the ultimate power brokers in the battle for 32 pivotal seats. With women leading the charge, the Assembly elections are set to become a referendum on the power of female voters.