Impact of note ban on women worries BJP

With the schedule for the Assembly polls being announced on Wednesday, the BJP appears to be worried about the impact of demonetisation on women.

The small personal savings of many women were forced into the banking system post the November 8 currency ban announcement.

Though the BJP is keen to pitch demonetisation as one of its key campaign issues for the seven-phase Assembly elections starting from February 11, a BJP general secretary said the party is yet to figure out the general mood among women on the note ban.

The senior party leader said it was difficult to get the pulse of women in the Hindi belt since they are not vocal and refrain from attending public meetings. The BJP’s concern is backed by the fact that Uttar Pradesh has the highest women electorate. As per the Election Commission data of the 2012 UP Assembly polls, of the 12.74 crore electors, 5.7 crore were women and 60% of them had cast their franchise in the previous polls.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the women electorate went up to 6.2 crore in Uttar Pradesh, but the turnout came down to 57.4%, which was less than the national voter turnout pegged at 65.3%.

The BJP Mahila Morcha had shared women’s anxiety on note ban with the top leadership and sought relaxation in bank deposits restrictions.