Women voters outnumber men in 17 LS segments

Out of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, women voters outnumber men in 17 constituencies. Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency has the highest percentage of women voters in comparison to males at 51.51 per cent (8,10,362). Dakshina Kannada stands second with 51.17 per cent (9,19,279 women voters).

Belgaum — 50.19 per cent (9,55,725 women voters); Bagalkot— 50.40 per cent (9,02,239); Raichur — 50.48 per cent (10,05,246); Koppal — 50.69 per cent (9,38,750); Bellary — 50.66 per cent (9,45,191); Davangere — 50.09 per cent (8,47,662 women); Shimoga — 50.74 per cent (8,77,761); Hassan — 50.21 per cent (8,66,206); Chitradurga — 50.13 per cent (9,27,078); Tumkur — 50.67 per cent (8,36,775); Mandya — 50.71 per cent (8,97,031); Mysore-Kodagu — 50.91 per cent (10,55,035); Chamarajanagar — 50.56 per cent (8,94,268); Chikballapur— 50.32 per cent (9,89,369) and Kolar — 50.53 per cent (8,68,184).

Political parties have chalked out various strategies to woo them.

BJP Mahila Morcha president Manjula said, “Members of the Mahila Morcha have been meeting women at their houses, holding corner meetings, women’s conventions, meeting women achievers and women sports achievers.”

“During the campaign, we are focusing on creating awareness on various welfare schemes implemented by the Modi government, aimed at catalyzing economic empowerment and financial independence of women, rather than announcing schemes just for the sake of elections,” she added.

The Congress is banking on its guarantee schemes and highlighting the failure of the Centre in controlling the rise in prices of essential commodities, which has affected women, because it is they who take care of the family, said State Congress Mahila Morcha President Pushpa Amarnath.

She said through the guarantee schemes, families get a minimum of Rs 4,000 per month, which helps women to use the money for productive purposes.

Political commentator A Narayana from Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, said, “Of late, women are increasingly exercising their franchise independently, without the influence of the male members in the family. As a result, parties try to woo women voters in all possible ways. Women
outnumbering male voters might not impact results on its own.”