The real kingmakers: Why 2026 is the year of women voters

AS 4 states and i unification soil head up to polls this month, women may be holding more power than others in deciding the fate of elections. With increased participation over the past few years, women voters are taking centre stage in poll-bound Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, where they are either close to parity with male voters or outnumbering them.Before diving any further into the role women play as voters, a look at statistics from Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry and Kerala:Puducherry: The union territory reportedly has 5,03,076 women voters, significantly higher than the 4,45,761 males who constitute the category, alongside 140 third-gender voters.Assam: The north-eastern state has a total electorate of 2,45,72,144 with 1,23,39,241 women voters and 1,23,25,293 male voters.West Bengal: Despite a bigger decline in the number of women electors as compared to men according to EC data following the SIR of electoral rolls, females still remain more in number.The number of women electors stands at around 3.44 crore, while male voters stand at 3.60 crore. Overall, women account for nearly half of the state's 7.04 crore electorate.Tamil Nadu: Women voters in Tamil Nadu constitute 51% of the electorate – 2.89 crore (28.9 million) out of 5.67 crore (56.7 million).Kerala: As stated in an earlier HT report, poll panel's data from Kerala shows that out of the 26,953,644 voters in the southern state, 13,126,048 are male, 13,827,319 are female, and 277 are transgender.Political parties are also aware of the enormity of the role women would play in deciding who is voted to power, and are accordingly appealing to them.How parties are appealing to women votersOne of the most significant outreach for women by the BJP is the attempt to facilitate the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently made the pitch to West Bengal's women voters. "It is important for the country that women have a greater role in decisions made for the country. Therefore, our government has enacted a law providing 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies," Modi said.Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also reached out to women voters, a constituency that has repeatedly backed her. Upping the ante against the BJP, she recently claimed that lakhs of genuine voters, particularly women and "Bengali-speaking people", had been removed from the voters' list.She also urged women to resist booth capture attempts.Welfare of women was also in focus as the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu unveiled its poll manifesto. The party announced it will provide women with a ₹8,000 coupon, which will help them buy/replace any electronic goods in their household. Besides, free travel for women on buses was also promised.In Kerala, the BJP has promised to hike the monthly social welfare pensions to ₹3,000 from the current ₹2,000 being dispensed by the LDF government, announcing that the increased amount would be paid to all women heads of poor households, senior citizens above the age of 70 and widows.Elections in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry will take place on April 9 and Tamil Nadu will go to polls on April 23. Only West Bengal will see two-phase elections, on April 23 and 29. Results of all five elections will be announced on May 4.