Migration key as gap between women, men voters in Jharkhand seats widens, hits 15.8%

In all the seven seats in Jharkhand that had voted till May 20, the turnout among women outnumbered the men in each. Of the 39 Assembly segments that fall within the seven Lok Sabha seats – half of Jharkhand’s total 14 – only in three was the polling participation of men higher.

As per data released by the Election Commission last week, it was only in the fifth phase (May 20) that the turnout of women voters across the country surpassed that of men in these Lok Sabha elections. In the overall turnout of 62.2% in this phase, 63% of the women electors and 61.48% of the men cast their votes.

The gap was particularly stark in Bihar and Jharkhand; with as many as 61.58% of the women voters casting their ballot compared to 52.42% of the men in Bihar, with the figures for Jharkhand, respectively, 68.65% and 58.08%. Both poll officials and parties in Jharkhand said one reason for this was thehigh migration of men from these areas for work.

Jharkhand had its first phase of voting on May 13, when the gap between turnout for women and men was 3.84%. On May 20, this rose to 6.29%.

Kodarma, apart from Chatra and Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seats, saw the biggest gap across their 16 Assembly segments – which was seen in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as well. However, Kodarma particularly stood out with the difference between female and male turnout as high as 15.85% (70% to 54.15%). In 2019, the gap was 9.97%.

In the Bagodar Assembly seat falling under Kodarma, the gap was as high as 21.26%, with 74.49% turnout among women, compared to 53.23% among men.

Incidentally, Kalpana Soren, the wife of jailed former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, is contesting a bypoll from the Gandey Assembly seat that falls under Kodarma. Seeking votes in the name of