Political parties are scrambling for the female mandate, as alliances vie against each other useing attractive schemes and slogans
Mumbai: Travel around Maharashtra and you will see hoardings with photographs of women voters—some hail the Chief Minister for caring about his “ladki bahins”, roughly translated as beloved sisters. Then there are some with women in the advertisement urging other women to vote for the ‘clock symbol’ or Ajit Pawar’s NCP for the largesse being doled out to the women. On FM radio, there are ads with women wondering if the monthly pension schemes for women will stop if the Mahayuti alliance loses the polls. Women, as we see, are at the centre stage of these assembly elections.
After the Chief Minister’s high octane Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana launch and campaign, the MVA has promised a monthly pension of Rs 3000 to the women of Maharashtra. This doubles the amount currently being doled out. There are riders of course; with a cap of the family income to be eligible for this pension. Election speeches, across parties, talk about women—their safety, education and employment opportunities for them and their children, promises which will tug at their heartstrings. Parties have also roped in a women force of campaigners to carry the message and appeal to women voters. The most vocal female politician in Maharashtra at present, Supriya Sule, connects effortlessly with women voters, breaking down development issues into a language which even the unlettered can understand. Around 10 per cent on the candidates of both alliances are women. Politicians are organising ‘paithani contests’, cooking competitions and making handsome donations to self-help groups run by women. Cash, competitions, fun and frolic are all being used to get the woman voter to their side.
Wives, mothers, sisters and daughters are working hard as campaign managers for male politicians. They can effortlessly hug a woman farmer, pat a young girl on the shoulder and can walk straight into the woman’s hearth and heart.
The focus on women lies in the numbers. Data by the election commission shows that Maharashtra has 46.6 million women voters as against 49.7 million men. The efforts are to draw a maximum number of women out of their homes to vote. Official data in absolute numbers showed that 5o per cent women voted pan India during the Lok Sabha elections this time.
There are sociological factors at play as well. Out of 288 assembly constituencies, there are 38 peculiar constituencies in various parts of the state where there is a larger percentage of women voters. This is because of the trend of men moving out of their towns and villages for work opportunities while the women stay back to tend to the farm or home. Some of these are Akola, Gondia, Shahada, Chiplun, Sindhudurg and parts of Kolhapur. Here, women will decide which candidate wins. With increasing education and financial independence, women now make their decisions without being coerced or influenced by men. It’s easy to then appeal to them with schemes and emotional messaging.
Women centric schemes have proven beneficial to the BJP in the past; the Ujjwal Yojana, the Laadli Yojana in Madhya Pradesh and the Lakhpati Ladli Yojana, among others, have helped the parties reap benefits from women voters.
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