Woman power in voters queues will decide the fate of the candidate

Punjab News Express/Y.S. RANA
HAMIRPUR (HP): Since 1998, woman voters have been out-numbered male voters in exercising their franchise in Himachal Pradesh. The female turn out this time is also expected to play a crucial role in the state. Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency which comprises 17 assembly segments has almost 50 per cent of woman voters. This time also woman voters will play major role in the election to the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat slated for May 19.

The electorate strength in the Hamirpur seat is 13,09,473 voters, out of which, there are 6, 54,387 women and 6,55,072 men. There are 39,889 first women voters. However, in Hamirpur district, women outnumber men when it comes to vote. In the last Hamirpur parliamentary election, the female voter turnout was 52.5 per cent against 47.5 per cent male.

While electorate strength in the Kangra seat is 13,37,838, out of which there are 6,61,699 female and 6,76,131 men compared to 6,06,829 (female) 6,19,436 (men) of total electorate 12,26,268. Only in Shimla parliamentary constituency, male voters outnumbered female. It has total electorate strength of 12,23,290 of this there are 6,33,54 male and 6,19,436 are female voters.

In the state the women folk have been provided 33 per cent reservation in panchayati raj institutions right from panches to the chairpersons of zila parishads. High literacy percentage is also key factor of high percentage of woman voters. The literacy percentage among women is over 70 per cent in the districts of Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Dehra revenue sub-divisions that form part of Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency.
After losing power in 2007, the BJP put its attention towards women by setting up mahila mandals and women societies including self-help groups. This helped the party to the maximum in this constituency. But when it comes giving women representation has been abysmally low not only in the state but also all over the country. Both the major political parties—BJP and Congress—have failed to give tickets to woman. One can see women power in voter queues in Himachal Pradesh but political parties had left much to be desired while giving tickets to women.
In 2014, Lok Sabha election women voted at higher rate than men in 16 of country’s 35 states. India ranks 149th in a list of 193 coutries in terms of women’s representation in state assembly and Lok Sabha. India is signatory to the convention for Elimination of Discrimination Against women which oblige to take appropriate steps to elimination discrimination against in political and public life. As of now, stage has not set for battle in Hamirpur Lok Sbaha poll in absence of declaration of Congress candidate but woman voters can tilt the scale in anybody’s favour.
Political parties will try to outdo each other in luring the woman voter here. Several welfare schemes of the BJP such as Swachh Bharat, Ujjwala Yojana, Matru Vandana Yojana and the Awaas Yojana will be additional booster dose for BJP candidate. Talking to various sections of society here revealed that ‘Rashtrabad’ would also be major issue.
Effective representation of women in decision making structure will have a bearing on policies, vision and structure of institution and that is something each political party should pause for a while, political experts said.