Urban local body poll: Parties go all out to woo women voters

PRAYAGRAJ: Acknowledging their role in deciding the fate of the candidates in the upcoming urban local body polls, major political parties, including Bharatiya Janata Party, Samajwadi Party, Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and AAP, are going all out to woo the women voters.
With women voters accounting for 44% share on the voters’ list, parties have activated their women wings to target the eligible voters.
In 40 of the 100 wards in the city, the number of women voters can be a decisive factor in sealing the fate of corporator and mayoral candidates.
There are a total 15,73,713 voters, including 8,79,930 male and 6,96,783 female voters, on nagar nigam list.
BJP spokesman Rajesh Kesarwani told TOI: “Activists of the women wing of party are connecting with eligible women voters and apprising them about the policies being taken by up the BJP-led Union and state governments for the betterment of the fairer sex. Tolis (groups) of women wing are knocking at the door of eligible voters and connecting them through online and offline mode.”
Samajwadi Party (SP) district president Yogesh Yadav told TOI: “We are approaching women voters and apprising them about the welfare scheme like Kanya Vidhya Dhan etc being launched by party for their betterment. Women wing of party (mahila sabha) is also making efforts to connect all eligible women voters ahead of the polls.”
All parties have also spoken about equal representation to women in the polls.
The highest number of 32,090 voters, including 17,879 men and 14,211 women, are registered in Naini Dadri while Jahagirpuri ward in old city has the lowest number (8166) voters including 4,591 men and 3,575 women.
There are two wards that have over 30,000 voters, including Naini Dadri (32,090) and Shams Nagar (30,486), while at least 11 wards have more than 20,000 voters including Sulemsarai, Jhulelal Nagar, Shahganj Garisaray, Allenganj, Teliyarganj, Kasiraj Nagar, Baghambari Housing scheme, Minhajpur Garikala and Tagore town.
Four wards-- Sonauti, Gohri, Jahagirabad and Govindpur-- have less than 10,000 voters.
In 2017, there were 14,02,641 voters in 80 wards of the nagar nigam which has now increased to 15,76,713 voters in 100 wards.