How women voters changed the game in favor of the holder in the Maharashtra and Jharkhand – Firstpost

Voters became the decisive force during the assembly elections in the Maharashtra and Jharkhand, leading the alliances to power – the Indian block led by Mahayuti and JMM – to resounding victories.

The two governments used targeted social protection plans focused on financial aid for women, transforming them into powerful voting magnets.

How women voters changed the game in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra attended an unprecedented electoral performance of the Mahayuti Alliance led by the BJP, which won two thirds of the seats in the Assembly. At the heart of this triumph, Ladki Bahin Yojana, a direct cash transfer program introduced in July.

The regime promised 1,500 ₹ per month to women from families earning less than 2.5 Lakh per year, later, increased to 2,100 ₹ just before the elections. This initiative has targeted more than 2.3 women, aimed at meeting their financial needs directly.

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The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has credited the program for the galvanization of voters:
“The comments suggest that the voters have proven to be greater to support us because of Ladki Bahin,” he said.

Statistics corroborate this assertion. The female participation rate increased from 59.26% in 2019 to 65.21% now, with 3.06 spars of women participating – a remarkable increase of 52 Lakh votes. Districts like Pune, Thane, Nashik, Solapur and Nagpur, who recorded the greatest number of beneficiaries, saw the voting percentages of women increase by more than 6 percentage points.

Despite the Mahayuti landslide, criticisms like the head of NCP Supriya Sule rejected the program as an electoral gadget: “Women want minimum support prices for their products, not cash documents”, She explained.

How Jharkhand’s voters have supported Hemant Soren’s promises

In Jharkhand, the chief minister Hemant Soren overcome allegations of anti-incombes and corruption, partly due to the Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana, who provided 1,000 ₹ per month to women aged 18 to 50. The program benefited around 5 million women, with the promise to increase payment to 2,500 ₹ by December 2024.

The strategy has borne fruit, women being more numerous than men in the participation rate in 85% of the constituencies. Out of 68 seats out of 81, the participation rate of women exceeded that of men.

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The female participation rate increased from 67% in 2019 to more than 70% in 2024. The data of the electoral commission also revealed that voters of 1.76 crores which participated, 91.16 Lakh were women, Beyond the male participation rate of 5.52 Lakh votes.

Women as a new electoral power

The elections to the assembly of Maharashtra and Jharkhand reflected a broader trend – voters more and more increasingly a pivotal electoral block. Over the past decade, political parties have intensified efforts to attract women by launching programs that directly meet their financial and social needs. Ladki Bahin and Maiya Samman schemes embody this approach.

The previous success of the BJP with the Ladli Behna Yojana in Madhya Pradesh has put the model. Implementation under former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he provided 1,000 ₹ to women and helped the BJP to maintain power despite strong competition from the congress.

Electoral analysts noted a gender reduction gap in the participation rate between states. For example, the Maharashtra elections have experienced an almost parity in male and female participation, while Jharkhand saw voter women going beyond men in most constituencies.

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The chief of the ICC (M) Ashok Dhawale said Pti“After the Lok Sabha elections, programs like Ladki Bahin Yojana and programs for construction workers influenced the feeling of voters, especially in women.”

Although these programs have proven to be electoral, questions concerning their sustainability persist. A controller and general auditor report (CAG) warned:
“The government must monitor and manage its debt levels to ensure long -term budgetary stability by adopting corrective measures to rationalize spending, explore new sources of income and invest in income -generating assets.”

In addition, the contrasting results of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the two states highlighted the nuanced priorities of voters. While Mahayuti dominated the surveys of the Maharashtra assembly after losing ground during the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 barely months ago, the India block reversed its losses from Lok Sabha to Jharkhand for Ensure a decisive victory for the Assembly.

With agency entries