Comprising 48 per cent of the total voters in Himachal Pradesh, women are set to play a critical role in determining which way the tide is set to turn in the upcoming polls. Their sway over the final results is evident with political parties making a beeline to gain support across villages and towns.
With as many as 27.3 lakh women out of total 55.9 lakh voters in the state, the candidates are making all efforts to tailor their messages to reach women voters. If Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on the Centre’s women-centric schemes, be it Ujjwala Yojana or Ayushman Bharat launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress has countered it with its big poll promise of providing Rs 1,500 monthly allowance to every woman above 18 years. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is also contesting the election this time, has also promised Rs 1,000 per month allowance for women.
CALLS FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
There may be just 15 women candidates contesting elections from 68 assembly seats in Himachal, but that has not impacted political parties’ fervent appeal for gender empowerment in their election speeches.
“We have promised to provide Rs 1,500 per month to every woman to help her become financially stable. Nai to sadak sone ki bhi hogi, tab bhi log ko fark nai padega. Unlike other parties, our focus is mainly on improving livelihoods through employment,” says Congress candidate Sudhir Sharma as he addresses a gathering of women voters in Jheol village, even citing Gujarat’s model of Amul run by women to drive home his point.
With a literacy rate of 73.5 per cent, women in Himachal are also believed to vote independently of where other members of the family are voting, and it could be a deciding factor as the state goes for polls on November 12. In fact, more number of women turned up to vote compared to men in the previous state elections in 2017. The voting percentage among women was much higher at 78 per cent, contrary to just 70 per cent among males.
In Kangra, BJP candidate Pawan Kajal is invoking PM Modi in his speeches as he urges women voters to support a party that safely brought their children home from war-torn Ukraine. “Under PM Modi, your children are safe. Your family will get free hospital treatment under HimCare, Ayushman Bharat, and free LPG connections and subsidised electricity is already being provided,” he says.
RESENTMENT AGAINST RISING PRICES
With most government decisions directly impacting women, they are clearly at the centre-stage of each party’s election campaign, and are speaking their mind. “Iss vaar vote dena e nai,” Santosh, 45 from Kachhiari village in Kangra, says indignantly. “Do you know how costly everything is now? The LPG cylinder costs about Rs 1,200, and the power bills are higher than ever. All this when our children are still sitting at home with no jobs. So why should I vote?”
The anger over rising prices is evident across villages and the lack of employment opportunities for youngsters, especially post pandemic, has angered women voters further. Sitting in one of the public meetings in Kangra, Neelam, 38, quips: “Times have changed now and we cannot be taken for a ride. We may not say, but most of us have a fair sense to understand who to vote for.”
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