The subject of women voters took centre stage during the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, with the BJP-led government making efforts to appeal to women through the introduction of women-centric welfare schemes such as Ladli Behna and Ladli Lakshmi. In the lead-up to the elections, the BJP also announced subsidised cooking gas and increased reservation in government jobs as “Rakshabandhan gifts.” Notably, Congress promised ₹1,500 per month to every woman in the State if it were to come to power. Post-election, discussions emerged regarding the heightened turnout of women voters, revealing that in 34 Assembly constituencies, women’s turnout surpassed that of men. Consequently, it becomes crucial to delve into the voting patterns of women in this election and the factors influencing their choices. Although, it is necessary also to remember that overall, women voted less than men this time. As against 78.2% turnout among men, turnout among women in Madhya Pradesh was 76.03%. Last time too, turnout among women was around two per cent less than among men.
Analysing political preferences across genders, it was observed that both men and women in Madhya Pradesh generally leaned towards the BJP as compared to the Congress. Specifically, 43% of women voted for Congress, while 47% supported the BJP, indicating a four-percentage-point gap. Ironically, Congress polled more among women than it did among men voters and BJP polled more among men than among women! Delving into urban and rural trends, urban women displayed a stronger inclination towards the BJP (53%) as compared to women in rural areas (45%) (Table 1).
Examining the impact of campaigns on voting choices, data revealed that more women than men made last-minute decisions, with 29% of women and 22% of men deciding in the eleventh hour (Table 2). Further analysis indicated a slight edge for the BJP among women deciding late (48%) compared to those deciding during the campaign (46%), underlying the significance of campaign dynamics in shaping electoral outcomes (Table 3).
Turning attention to women-centric welfare schemes, it was found that women beneficiaries of Ladli Lakshmi and Ladli Behena Yojana generally favoured the BJP, with 49% and 48% respectively supporting the party. In contrast, women not benefiting from these schemes, especially Ladli Behana, tended to prefer the Congress (Table 4).
The Madhya Pradesh Assembly election showcased the BJP’s strategic focus on women voters through welfare schemes and targeted promises. However, available data from the post-poll survey suggest that despite having a slight advantage in gender terms, the BJP’s victory cannot be attributed to women voters alone.
Jyoti Mishra and Saloni Kumari are researchers at Lokniti-CSDS
