With higher turnout of women voters in majority of the 81-seat Jharkhand Assembly polls, both the JMM and the BJP are optimistic ahead of the counting day on Saturday.

Female voter turnout exceeded male voter turnout by almost 4.7 percentage in the first phase of the Jharkhand elections, with the trend seen in all but six of 43 Assembly constituencies that went to the polls on November 13.

Female voter turnout was a shade over 69% as male voters lagged behind with 64.3% participation. Third-gender voters clocked 31% turnout. 37 out of 43 Jharkhand seats saw higher female turnout in the first phase.

Only six Assembly seats — Potka, Jugsalai, Jamshedpur East, Seraikela, Tamar and Khunti — recorded higher male voter percentage.

As per the Election Commission data, out of a total of 85,43,063 votes cast on Wednesday, 43,96,160 women voted whereas only 41,46,835 men cast their votesin the second phase.

Women have been ahead in voting on 31 out of 38 seats which went to pollon Wednesday.

JMM general secretary and spokesperson, Supriyo Bhattacharya, claimed that the increase in women voters was due to the popular Maiyan Samman Yojana of the ruling coalition. Bhattacharya also said that the poll outcome would go in their favour.

He said: “The women have reposed their faith in Hemant Soren for bringing welfare schemes... Already several installments of the schemes have been given directly to the account of the beneficiaries and December onwards the amount would beincreased to ₹2500.”

Opposition BJP sees the higher women turnout as an anti-incumbency vote against “failed” electoral promises of the Hemant Soren-led state government.

Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said: “The JMM-Congress-RJD coalition came to power while promising to give ₹2,000 to all women as chulha kharch (kitchen expenditure), but gave none. They started giving ₹1,000 three months before the election... Also, women are angry with this government for crimes against women.”

“Varied factors play a role in higher women turnout. The impact of Maiyan Samman Yojna to some extent can’t be ruled out, as we have seen in other states with similar schemes. With the BJP also promising a similar scheme, it served as a catalyst to bring women to the centre stage. That might have led to this increase,” said political columnist Sudhir Pal.