Mumbai: In recent elections, political parties have started paying more attention to women voters, recognising them as a key group that can influence the outcome of elections. One of the reasons for this shift is the rising participation of women in elections. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, 59% of registered women voters cast their votes, compared to 63% of men in Maharashtra.
While there is still a gap, it has narrowed significantly over time. In 2004, only 51% of women voters turned up, while 58% of men voted. This change became noticeable in 2014 when female turnout increased to 55%. By 2019, the gap between men and women voters had shrunk even further, with a difference of just 3.75%.
In Maharashtra, the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana could affect about 2 crore women, many of whom are registered voters. If the government successfully enrols all eligible women, the scheme could influence up to 56% of the state’s women voters. This could play a big role in determining the election outcome.
It’s widely acknowledged that the scheme is modelled after the Ladli Behna Yojana, which played a key role in helping the BJP overcome anti-incumbency in the December 2023 Madhya Pradesh elections.
Launched just a year before the state went to polls, the Madhya Pradesh scheme promised Rs1250 per month to women meeting the same age and income criteria that have now been introduced in Maharashtra. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has promised to double the quantum of monthly payments if his government is voted back to power.
As women’s voter turnout continues to rise and welfare schemes targeted at women grow more common, it’s clear that political parties across India now see women as a decisive force in elections. Women voters, once overlooked, are now seen as capable of shaping election results, both at the state and national levels.
