With voter turnout of 71.78%, women become game changers in Bihar assembly polls

Patna: The higher proportion of women voters in Bihar elections became one of the decisive factors behind NDA's landslide victory in the assembly polls in the state on Friday. Women outdid men by 14 percentage points in voter turnout in seven districts of Bihar, where assembly elections were recently held, as per the Election Commission. In 10 other districts, the gap was over 10 percentage points.

Bihar's 243 assembly seats went to the polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, and it registered a historic voter turnout of 67.13 per cent, the highest-ever in the state. Women's voter turnout was 71.78 per cent, while polling percentage among men was 62.98.

Following the election results, elated women were seen singing and dancing, besides playing with 'gulal', at various places across the state after the ruling coalition's victory became evident. An NDA leader said that the credit for women’s mandate goes particularly to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose two-decade governance track has built a loyal, cross-caste female vote bank.

In the run-up to the polls, the Nitish Kumar government transferred ₹10,000 to over 1.21 crore women (Jivika Didis) to help them start small businesses and promised an additional ₹2 lakh for successful ventures.

JD(U) leaders said Nitish Kumar’s 2016 prohibition policy was popular with women, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds affected by alcohol-related domestic violence.

The opposition Mahagathbandhan’s hints at reviewing or lifting the prohibition only pushed women further toward the NDA. In a state fractured by caste politics, women emerged as the one constituency that cut across that line, they said.

EC's latest gender-wise data regarding voter turnout in all 38 districts showed that Supaul recorded the biggest gap at 20.71 percentage points, as 83.69 per cent of the women voters exercised their franchise, against 62.98 per cent of men. The BJP-led NDA has crossed the majority mark of 122 seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly and in many seats, candidates of the ruling coalition have taken unassailable leads.