Kathua recorded maximum turnout, Kulgam lowest
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 25: Though only two women candidates have made it to 12th Legislative Assembly, the participation of fair sex in the just concluded elections projected very encouraging picture in comparison to the Lok Sabha elections held early this year and they played decisive role in sealing the fate of majority of other candidates.
According to the official data available with EXCELSIOR, during Lok Sabha elections held early this year, the women electorates’ participation was 43% and the same increased by 15 percent to overall 58% in the just concluded Assembly elections as compared to overall male participation of 72%.
In Jammu district, where overall turnout was at 75.11%, the participation of women voters was 75.11% as compared to 75.12% of male electorates. This is perhaps the only district in Jammu and Kashmir where there was slight difference between the male and female voters, who exercised their democratic right.
Kathua district, which recorded overall highest turnout in comparison to 21 other districts of the State, too has the distinction of recording maximum turnout of women electorates. According to the data, the participation of women voters was 81% in comparison to 84% of male voters in the overall percentage of 81.24%. Out of total 4,23,000 electorates, who participated in the elections, 3,43,345 were the women voters in the district.
The level of women voters’ participation can be gauged from another fact that in Basohli Assembly segment out of 56131 electorates, who exercised their democratic right, 28718 were the males and 27413 females.
In Reasi district, the participation of women voters was recorded at 78.12% as against 80.12% males while as in Rajouri male percentage was 79.87% and women 73.24% in the overall percentage of 78. As far as Samba district is concerned, women voters’ participation was 71.18% as compared to 79.67% of males to the overall percentage of 78. Even tough terrain Doda district recorded overwhelming participation of women in the elections with their percentage at 71.50 as against 77% of male voters.
In Udhampur district, which recorded overall 76% turnout, female voters’ participation was 69% as against 78% of male voters. Similarly, women turnout in Poonch was recorded at 67.8%, 59% in Kupwara and 61% in Bandipora district. Kulgam district recorded lower turnout of women voters with percentage at 19.
The data vis-à-vis participation of women electorates in these and other districts of the State clearly indicates that Election Commission of India has succeeded in increasing awareness among the womenfolk about exercising their democratic right, the opportunity of which comes after six years in context of Assembly elections and five years in case of Parliament polls.
In order to ensure that women ensure maximum participation in the democratic exercise, the Election Commission through all the 22 District Election Officers had taken numerous initiatives under Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme to generate awareness.
The DEOs utilized the services of ASHA and Anganwari workers to generate awareness among the women electorates about participation in elections. They (DEOs) even personally visited different corners of their respective districts to ensure that more and more women voters turn out to cast votes.
Though only two women have made it to the 12th Legislative Assembly, the women voters played decisive role in sealing the fate of other candidates by ensuring sharp increase in their participation particularly in comparison to Lok Sabha elections 2014. In this way, the women of Jammu and Kashmir rubbed their shoulders with males to choose their representatives in Legislative Assembly.
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