It was the women’s vote that played a key role in unseating the incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samithi government in Telangana. In 56 constituencies out of 119, women voted in larger numbers than men. Out of these 56 seats, the Indian National Congress won 37 seats.
That’s what made the difference to the fortunes of INC. Telangana is one of the few States in the country where in general women voters outnumber men. There are 1,62,98,418 men voters and 1,63,01,705 women voters giving women the edge according to the Election Commission of India’s statistics. But if the Service voters are included, then the number tilts in favour of men as there are 1,63,12,268 male voters and 1,63,02,261 female electors. On polling day, however, more women turned up to vote than the men in 56 constituencies. Out of these 56 constituencies, the Congress party has won in 37 seats and the BJP six out of its eight seats. In Kamareddy, Venkata Ramana Reddy of BJP won by 6,741 votes and in Adilabad, Payal Shankar won by 6,692 votes.
Similarly, among the Congress party winners, Laxmi Kantha Rao won in Jukkal with a slim margin of 1,152 votes, Manohar Reddy won in Tandur by 6,583 votes, Parinika Reddy won Narayanpet with 7,951 votes and R. Prakash Reddy won by 7,941 votes.
Just by turning up in larger numbers, the women changed the equation. Out of these total voters in the State, 1,14,46,644 women voted as against 1,13,65,697 men, tilting the scales in favour of Congress and giving the grand old party its only triumph in this Assembly elections.
