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New Delhi, November 6 (IANS) Women voters in Bihar are not as calm as they are thought. Since the 2010 assembly elections, they have exercised their electoral rights in higher percentages than their male counterparts in the respective categories, which analysts have concluded as an acceptance of the government’s inclusive policies.
Such explanations include empirical analysis and reporting that link changes in policies and programs aimed at women’s welfare and empowerment. Cash support for small business enterprises, livelihood livelihood groups, bicycles for school girls, panchayat reservations for women, increased women’s social mobility, economic participation and political awareness all fueled this change since 2010.
Direct cash transfers and other targeted subsidies strengthened the relationship between the state and women voters, increasing their electoral participation and making women a reliable voting constituency.
Additionally, growing grassroots organizations such as self-help groups, rural institutions, and improvements in girls’ school education have also increased social and political awareness.
Gender-wise voting data available from official sources shows that in 1962, about 32.5 per cent of female voters exercised their rights, while male voting was about 55 per cent.
The gap widened further in 1977, even as the Janata Party won decisive victories in parliamentary and assembly elections following massive protests against the emergency imposed by the Congress government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The voters in Bihar, who decided to form a Janata government in the state under the leadership of Karpoori Thakur, were men at 71.2 per cent, while women were only 38.3 per cent.
Since the implementation of the recommendations of the Mandal Commission in the 90s, about half a dozen rapid changes have taken place in the Centre.
In Bihar, some socio-political engineering helped Lalu Prasad Yadav continue to rule, handing over the reins of power to wife Rabri Devi when she faced chargesheet in the fodder scam.
This period saw a slow but steady decline in the male-female voter gap in the state’s turnout. In the 1990 assembly elections, about 53.3 per cent of women exercised their franchise, compared to 69.6 per cent of their male counterparts.
This also marked the beginning of ‘Lalu Raj’. Five years later, the gap narrowed further and male participation dropped to about 67 percent, while the number of female voters increased to 55.8 percent.
Bihar’s economy declined so much in this decade that a survey in December 1999 declared it India’s worst state for investment.
In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (United) formed an alliance, which won most of the assembly constituencies in the state.
Considering the fodder scam as a factor influencing Lalu Yadav’s political fortunes, the Congress – which had contested the parliamentary election in alliance with the RJD – decided to go alone in the 2020 assembly elections.
In 2000, although RJD won most of the seats, BJP and JD(U) formed the government under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. However, no party had a majority in the assembly.
It is noteworthy that in this survey, male participation (70.7 percent) was much more than female participation (53.3 percent) in their respective categories. However, Nitish stepped down before the floor test and Rabri Devi became the Chief Minister again.
The assembly elections held in February 2005 resulted in a fractured mandate and no government could be formed in Bihar.
Both male (about 50 percent) and female (42.5 percent) participation declined in the respective categories.
In the elections held in October–November of the same year, the number of male voters dropped to 47 percent and the number of female voters to 44.6 percent.
Nitish Kumar returned to power at the head of the JD(U)-BJP coalition government. Since then, continuously till 2010, 2015 and 2020, about 54.4, 60.5 and 59.7 per cent of women voters participated in the assembly elections, which was more than men who constituted 51.1, 53.3 and 54.5 of their total voters respectively.
In the ongoing assembly elections 2025, early indications from phase 1 voting predict participation of large numbers of women voters; But for whom the electronic voting machine is beeping, it will be known on November 14.
–IANS
JB/Red