Major parties dangle string of sops to woo women in TS

Hyderabad: As the Telangana State Legislative Assembly elections 2023 approach, political parties are intensifying their efforts to appeal to the larger female electorate, which surpasses the male count. With just a day remaining for polling, there is a concerted push by most parties to capture the attention and support of women voters.

The women voters are likely to be the deciding factor in 76 out of the 119 Assembly constituencies in the State and they can tip the scales in key seats in the State where prominent leaders from major political parties are contesting. In the Telangana State Election Commission’s final electoral rolls, there are 1.63 crore women, compared with 1.62 crore men. In the last elections held to the Telangana State Assembly, women voter turnout was marginally higher compared to men. In the run up to the ensuing Assembly elections 2023, all three major political parties in Telangana have announced various sops targeting women as they try to outmanoeuvre their opponents.

In the work on “The Verdict: Decoding India’s Elections”, written by Prannoy Roy and Dorab R Sopariwala, it is stated that rise of women voter turnout is higher in the State Assembly elections in the recent times and today political parties focus much more on women’s issues during their campaigns than ever before.

Revitalised by its electoral victory in Karnataka in May, the Congress party aims to replicate its promises in Telangana such as free travel for women in TSRTC buses, a monthly financial assistance of `2,500 per women and10 gram gold and Rs one lakh for brides. The incumbent BRS which already implemented various flagship programmes such as Kalyan Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak, KCR Kits envisaging grant of `12,000 in three instalments to pregnant and lactating women and the incentive was hiked by Rs 1,000 more in case of birth of a girl child, Aarogya Lakshmi was being implemented through 35,700 anganwadi centres to supply nutritious food to children below the age of six.

For the upcoming elections, it announced financial assistance of `3,000 for poor women per month and LPG cylinders at `400. The BJP for its part promised free laptops for girls studying in college, 10 lakh new jobs for women and fixed deposit for new-born girls so that Rstwo lakh can be redeemed when they are 21 years.

Speaking to The Hans India, over the sway the votes of women hold in this election in Telangana, Sandeep Shastri, political analyst, says, “Most of the political parties announce various schemes aimed towards targeting women as they feel that may influence their outcome, however women may not be necessarily influenced towards all the political parties wherein these promises are made, in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh State prohibition introduced by the former chief minister NT Rama Rao in 1995 did make some impact in the past.”

While political parties may unveil various schemes, women weigh their decisions onmultiple levels. They scrutinise the actual execution and impact of these initiatives on the ground, often giving incumbents a slight edge due to their prior implementation experience. However, it is not just about scheme announcements; the party itself and its leader significantly sway their voting preferences. Importantly, women do not solely consider their own welfare despite successful scheme implementations targeted at them; they prioritise the overall well-being of their families when casting their votes, says Professor Sanjay Kumar, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi.