Women electorate fared better than men

Even as the Delhi elections saw a low voter turnout compared to the last Assembly polls, women fared better than men in percentage in exercising their franchise.

The women voter turnout stood at 60.92 per cent, marginally surpassing the male turnout of 60.21 per cent, with 41 out of Delhi’s 70 constituencies witnessing a higher female turnout than men, signifying a profound demographic shift.

Data released by the Election Commission of India showed that women outvoted men in key constituencies such as Okhla, where their turnout exceeded male participation by 5.73 percentage points, followed by Burari at 1.78 percentage points, Adarsh Nagar at 1.69 percentage points and Timarpur at 0.64 percentage points.

This trend mirrors a broader national trajectory in which female voter participation has begun to eclipse that of men, a phenomenon observed in states such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, though in Delhi’s Matia Mahal constituency, women recorded the lowest turnout compared to men, trailing by 5.08 percentage points.

A comparative analysis of voter engagement between the 2020 and 2025 elections reveals nuanced shifts, as some constituencies experienced an augmentation in female turnout, while others registered a perceptible decline, with Badli witnessing a modest 0.40 percentage point increase, whereas Narela, Timarpur, and Adarsh Nagar exhibited contractions of approximately 2 to 4 percentage points.

These oscillations in voter participation may be attributable to a confluence of factors, including targeted electoral campaigns, gender-specific welfare policies and underlying demographic realignments, all of which have influenced the evolving political landscape.

Women now constitute 45 per cent of Delhi’s electorate, equating to approximately 7.1 million voters, compelling political entities to recalibrate their campaign strategies in response to this burgeoning electoral bloc.

Since the AAP came into power in 2015, welfare schemes like free electricity till 200 units, free 20,000 litres of water for every household, free travel for women in DTC buses, Mohalla clinics, among several others, has made the party even stronger with people giving it landslide victories in back-to-back two Assembly polls.

This political season, with schemes like monthly assistance of Rs 2,100-2,500 for women, Rs 21,000 for pregnant women, LPG cylinder at Rs 500, it is not just AAP, but all political parties leaving no stone unturned to woo the women electorate.

Interestingly, one major fact is that the gender ratio has improved in the national capital and currently stands at 859 females per 1,000 males. The total number of voters in the city are 1,55,24,858, which includes 71,73,952 female voters — a substantial vote base which can significantly affect the poll results.

Moreover, in the last assembly elections, the women voters turnout in 31 of the 70 Assembly seats was higher than men — a major reason why the votes of women are the parties prime focus.

The schemes of the AAP government like free travel for women in the DTC buses has had a major impact even in the last elections. This newspaper spoke to several women who have expressed their satisfaction over the scheme and the reason they had chosen AAP over any other party.

Women have already asserted their ascendancy in voter turnout, but the ultimate question persists — will they also determine the victor of the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections?