Women voters turn out in large numbers

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 7

Women voters turned out in large numbers to cast their vote here today. They said security was a top issue on their minds while casting their ballot.

Shameen, a voter, was not aware of the party promises on women issues, but made sure her vote counts.

“Earlier, it looked that I would not be able to vote due to personal engagements but then I made sure I cast my vote,” she said while standing in a queue with her mother-in-law.

“Various parties have been making promises on women safety. Nothing can change overnight, but a vote is where we all expect it to begin. Delhi needs to be improved in every sense,” said Kamna, a college student, who cast her vote at Patpargunj.

Women voters said the ruling parties be it the BJP, the Congress or AAP had failed to address concerns of women in the city, which has earned the dubious distinction of being called India’s “rape capital”.

“No party has done anything remarkable for the security of women. All promises done by the parties are just to gain votes but all promises fall false as soon as the party comes to power,” said Ruchita Sharma, a housewife at polling booth in Laxmi Nagar.

“Women are not safe in the city. The past governments have not done much about it. I will vote for change,” said Charu Vyas, a 25-year-old professional in the capital.

About 44 per cent of the electoral are women. Out of the total 673 candidates in the fray, 63 are women candidates as against 71 women candidates who contested in the 2013 Assembly poll.

The BJP has fielded maximum a number of women candidates, including its Chief Ministerial nominee Kiran Bedi, while AAP and the Congress have fielded six and five women contestants, respectively.

In the 2013 Assembly poll, the Congress and AAP had fielded six women candidates each while the BJP had fielded five women nominees.