In Jharkhand’s upcoming assembly elections, women voters are set to play a pivotal role, especially in 32 constituencies where their numbers surpass male voters, including the key seats of Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Barhait and former BJP Chief Minister Champai Soren in Saraikela.
Of these 32 constituencies, 26 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes, reflecting the demographic’s considerable presence in the electoral landscape.
Elections are scheduled in two phases on November 13 and November 20, with results expected on November 23.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who recently filed his nomination for Barhait, leads a constituency with a female majority among its 2.25 lakh registered voters, where women number approximately 1.15 lakh compared to 1.09 lakh men.
Similarly, in Saraikela, where former Chief Minister Champai Soren is contesting on a BJP ticket, female voters also hold a majority, with 1.85 lakh women to 1.83 lakh men among the constituency’s 3.69 lakh electors.
Champai Soren joined the BJP in August, citing “insult” and “humiliation” from the JMM leadership. Barhait and Saraikela are two of the 32 Jharkhand constituencies where women voters outnumber men.
The state’s total electorate has grown to approximately 2.60 crore, up from 2.23 crore in the 2019 elections, with around 1.31 crore male and 1.29 crore female voters.
Additionally, the state has 11.84 lakh first-time voters and 1.13 lakh individuals from groups including persons with disabilities, third-gender individuals, and senior citizens over 85 years old.
With women voters holding the balance in key constituencies, parties are racing to secure their favour. The BJP has introduced its “Gogo Didi Yojana” to compete with the JMM-led coalition’s “Maiyan Samman Yojana,” aiming to capture women’s interest through targeted welfare schemes.
The Maiyan Samman Yojana currently provides Rs 1,000 monthly to over 50 lakh women in Jharkhand, with Chief Minister Hemant Soren pledging to increase this amount to Rs 2,500 if his party is re-elected.
On the BJP side, the party’s manifesto includes a pledge to provide Rs 2,100 monthly to Jharkhand’s women if elected. These schemes reflect the parties’ strategic shift towards women, recognising their decisive influence in a number of the state’s constituencies.
Meanwhile, the Majhgaon constituency in West Singhbhum district has registered the largest gap in gender-based voter numbers, with 1.21 lakh women to 1.12 lakh men on the rolls.
This constituency’s gender composition further underscores the significance of female voters, who could be the deciding factor in a closely contested election.
As Jharkhand’s election day approaches, both leading parties are focusing intensely on policies that address women’s interests in hopes of swaying this critical voting bloc, underscoring the unique significance of female voter engagement in the state’s political future.
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