PANCHAYAT ELECTIONS: Women voters outnumber men

In what appears to be a real show of women power, women voters outnumbered men in the panchayat elections held here on Tuesday, an official data has revealed.

The women voter turnout was recorded at 69.76 per cent, which was 1.39 per cent higher than men (68.37 per cent) in the elections held to elect 725 sarpanches and 3,254 panches across 13 blocks of Ludhiana.

Women voters surpassed men in 10 of the total 13 blocks in the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population.

While 3,51,511 of the total 5,03,911 women voters exercised their franchise, as many as 3,92,167 of the total 5,73,555 male electors cast their votes.

According to the final voter turnout data compiled by the district election office, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the women voter turnout remained higher than men in Doraha, Jagraon, Khanna, Ludhiana-2, Machhiwara, Pakhowal, Raikot, Samrala, Sidhwan Bet and Sudhar blocks.

While the highest women voter turnout of 77.12 per cent was recorded in Machhiwara block, the fairer sex lagged behind in Dehlon, Ludhiana-1, and Malaud blocks.

The block-wise data revealed that Doraha recorded 75.18 per cent female and 73.66 per cent male turnout, Jagraon 73.86 per cent female and 64.57 per cent male, Khanna 75.76 per cent female and 75.06 per cent male, Ludhiana-2 67.38 per cent female and 64.88 per cent male, Machhiwara 77.12 per cent female and 72.81 per cent male, Pakhowal 71.7 per cent female and 70.42 per cent male, Raikot 74.99 per cent female and 70.43 per cent male, Samrala 79.16 per cent female and 76.07 per cent male, Sidhwan Bet 73.69 per cent female and 71.81 per cent male, and Sudhar block recorded 69.28 per cent female and 67.59 per cent male voter turnout.

The blocks where male voter turnout remained higher are Dehlon with 72.18 per cent male and 71.1 per cent female, Ludhiana-1 59.28 per cent male and 58.91 per cent female and Malaud block with 77.56 per cent male and 76.88 per cent female voter turnout.

Third gender polled votes in only 2 blocks

Only two third gender voters exercised their franchise in only two of the total 13 blocks in the district. Except one of the total two transgender electorates in Jagraon and one of the total 11 third gender voters in Ludhiana-1, no “other category” voters exercised their franchise in the rest of 11 blocks. There were a total of 19 third gender voters registered across 13 blocks in the district.

In figures

The women voter turnout was recorded at 69.76 per cent,

which was 1.39 per cent higher than men (68.37 per cent) in the panchayat elections held to elect 725 sarpanches and 3,254 panches across 13 blocks of Ludhiana.