Jharkhand Polls: Women voters hold key in CM's constituency, 31 other seats

Ranchi: Women voters may play a decisive role in 32 assembly constituencies, including the seats of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and former CM Champai Soren, as they outnumber male voters in the electoral roll.

Out of 32 constituencies where women voters are more than men, 26 are reserved for scheduled tribes.

The elections to the 81-seat Jharkhand assembly are scheduled to be held in two phases on November 13 and November 20.

The counting of votes is slated for November 23.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has filed his nomination papers from the Barhait assembly constituency, where the number of women voters is higher than male voters.

The constituency enrolled more than 2.25 lakh voters, including 1.15 lakh women and 1.09 lakh male voters.

Similarly, the Saraikela assembly constituency registered over 3.69 lakh electors, including 1.83 lakh male and 1.85 lakh female voters.

Former chief minister and BJP nominee Champai Soren is contesting from the Saraikela seat.

Soren joined the BJP on August 30 citing "insult" and "humiliation" at the hands of JMM leaders.

Barhait and Saraikela are among the 32 assembly seats where women voters outnumber male voters.

Jharkhand has 28 tribal reserved seats, nine scheduled castes and the rest are general category seats out of the total 81 constituencies.

Majhgaon assembly constituency in West Singhbhum district registered the highest number of women voters compared to their male counterparts.

The constituency registered 1.21 lakh women voters against 1.12 lakh men voters as per the electoral roll.

Jharkhand has around 2.60 crore electors, including 1.31 crore male and 1.29 crore female voters, compared to 2.23 crore in the 2019 assembly elections.

There are 11.84 lakh first-time voters and 1.13 lakh people with disabilities, third-gender individuals, and senior citizens over 85, who are expected to vote.

In a bid to woo women voters in the state, political parties are leaving no stone unturned.

The BJP has pitched Gogo Didi Yojana to counter the JMM-led alliance government's Maiyan Samman Yojana to attract female voters.

Under Maiyan Samman Yojana, Rs 1,000 per month is credited to the accounts of over 50 lakh women in the state.

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren said that the amount would be increased to Rs 2,500 monthly from December, if voted to power.

On the other hand, the BJP has promised in its first manifesto to transfer Rs 2,100 per month to the accounts of women after forming a government in Jharkhand.