In the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, the voter turnout among women was higher than that of men.
In Phase-1 of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, voter turnout among women surpassed that of men by nearly 4.7 percentage points. This trend was observed in all but six of the 43 assembly constituencies that went to the polls on Wednesday.
The overall voter turnout in the state was 66.6%, marking an increase of 2.7 percentage points compared to the 63.9% recorded in the 2019 assembly elections. Female voter turnout stood at just over 69%, while male turnout was lower at 64.3%. Voter participation from the third gender was recorded at 31%.
The INDIA bloc, consisting of JMM, Congress, and RJD, attributed the higher female turnout to the popularity of welfare schemes, particularly the Maiyya Samman Yojana, which provides Rs 1,000 per month to women beneficiaries under the Hemant Soren government. On the other hand, the BJP suggested that the high female turnout indicated dissatisfaction with the current government, with women voting in large numbers due to the rise in cases of crimes against women. BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo pointed out that the turnout reflected women’s frustration, with BJP offering Rs 2,100 under its Gogo Didi Yojana.
Of the 43 constituencies that voted on November 13, 37 saw higher female turnout compared to male participation. Only six constituencies—Potka, Jugsalai, Jamshedpur East, Seraikela, Tamar, and Khunti—had higher male turnout, though the gender gap in four of these constituencies was less than one percentage point. In Barkatha and Barhi, the difference between female and male turnout was significant, with women’s turnout surpassing men’s by almost 17 percentage points and 15 percentage points, respectively.
Baharagora recorded the highest overall turnout at 79.3%, largely driven by women, whose participation reached 81.6%. Kharsawan followed closely with a 79.1% overall turnout, with nearly 80% of women casting their votes. Ranchi, however, saw the lowest turnout at 52.5%, reflecting urban apathy. Of the 43 constituencies in Phase-1, 13 had notably lower turnout.
