In Assam, both the BJP and Congress are making significant promises to attract women voters with their cash transfer schemes. The BJP’s manifesto, known as the “sankalp patra,” pledges to increase the monthly bank transfer under the Orunodoi scheme to ₹3,000 for women. This initiative aims to uplift female financially by creating 40 lakh “lakhpati baideos” or financially independent women.
On the other hand, Congress is offering an unconditional bank transfer to every woman and a grant of ₹50,000 for women entrepreneurs as part of their campaign promises.
At the national level, the Narendra Modi government is moving forward with plans to introduce a women’s quota in legislatures starting from the 2029 general elections.
In terms of voter participation, Assam and Puducherry recently saw record-high voter turnout, with males participating at the highest levels ever. However, Kerala experienced lower male turnout compared to past elections. Female voter turnout has been notable in these regions, especially in Puducherry, where women have voted more than men in 18 out of the 30 elections since 1964. Similarly, Kerala has seen women outnumber men in nine of the 34 elections since 1957.
In Assam, female voter turnout first surpassed male turnout during the 2016 assembly elections. Since then, women have consistently engaged in voting more than men, except during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where turnout rates were equal. Overall, four out of 33 elections in Assam have witnessed a higher percentage of female voters.
