Soon after it became evident that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would secure victory in four of the five states under election, including the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed party workers at the BJP headquarters in Delhi. He expressed gratitude to the women who played a significant role in the party’s success. Prime Minister Modi stated that the “sisters, daughters, and mothers” had blessed the BJP and their greater voter turnout contributed to the party’s landslide victory. He acknowledged the trust women placed in the BJP, as they believed the party would prioritize their basic needs. Prime Minister Modi recalled his time as Chief Minister of Gujarat, where he assured those concerned about his safety that he had the support of numerous sisters and daughters from the state.
It is unclear whether the BJP’s significant margins were due to female or male voters, but it is known that the percentage of women voters decreased compared to the 2017 Assembly elections. According to media reports quoting the Election Commission of India, the overall voter turnout in Uttar Pradesh decreased from 61.11% in 2017 to 60.8% in 2022. In this election, 62.24% of women and 59.15% of men voted, compared to 63.38% and 59.21% respectively in 2017, indicating a decrease in the voting percentage among women.
Historically, male voters have outnumbered female voters in Uttar Pradesh. In 2022, women accounted for only 46.38% of the electorate, which means that even with a higher voting percentage among women, the total number of female votes would be significantly lower than the number of male votes. The data shows a substantial increase in female voting percentage in the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, where the BJP received only 15% of the votes. In that election, the female voting percentage surpassed that of men. This trend continued in the 2017 election. However, in 2022, the female voting percentage decreased compared to 2017, while the male voting percentage increased. This suggests that the gap that increased in 2017 has now narrowed. Therefore, it is not evident that the BJP’s electoral success in Uttar Pradesh is directly related to women’s increasing assertiveness in their independent political choices.
The statistics do not imply that women voters turned out in large numbers or decisively contributed to the BJP’s victory. However, the BJP made efforts to appeal to women voters by highlighting various schemes and benefits introduced by the government, such as the Prime Minister’s Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. The party also employed women campaigners from other states to mobilize female voters. Prime Minister Modi, in his speeches, emphasized the progress made in women’s rights and welfare under the BJP government. The BJP also reached out to Muslim women, addressing their concerns and promoting policies that benefited them, such as the legislation against triple talaq.
In conclusion, while women voters played a role in the BJP’s victories in the recent elections, it is not clear that their increasing political agency significantly impacted the outcome. Various factors, including the decrease in overall voter turnout and the specific strategies employed by the BJP to win over women voters, contribute to the party’s success.