ജിവിഎംസി തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ്: ഭൂരിഭാഗം വാർഡുകളിലും പുരുഷന്മാരേക്കാൾ കൂടുതൽ വനിതാ വോട്ടർമാർ; നിർണ്ണായകമായി സ്ത്രീകൾ

The women across the city claim that their voting choices are shaped by a combination of welfare benefits, household economics, civic infrastructure, performance, and the accessibility of local representatives

Women voters outnumber men in seven of the 10 zones under the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), making them an important factor in the upcoming civic elections.

Of the 18,29,966 voters across the 120 wards, 9,27,676 are women, 9,02,171 are men, and 119 voters belong to the third gender. Apart from Gajuwaka, Aganampudi, and Pendurthi, seven zones -- Bheemunipatnam, Madhurawada, East, West, North, South, and Anakapalli -- have more women voters. The government has also reserved 60 of the 120 wards for women, including 24 for BC women, 31 for women in the general category, and five for SC women. The prestigious mayor's post has also been reserved for a woman belonging to the general category.

Similarly, the political parties have allocated a considerable number of tickets to women. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has fielded women in 40 of the 77 seats allotted to it, while the Jana Sena Party (JSP) has given 16 of its 31 seats to women. The BJP has fielded four women among its 11 candidates. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has allotted 68 of its 120 seats to women.

During the campaign, candidates of the ruling coalition government have been highlighting initiatives such as "Thalliki Vandanam," "Stree Shakti," and other schemes for women, besides focusing on an increase in pensions to ₹4,000, stressing the government's women-centric welfare schemes.

Meanwhile, YSRCP candidates have alleged that "Thalliki Vandanam" has not reached all eligible children in families and have questioned delays in the implementation of "Aadabidda Nidhi". The YSRCP candidates also alleged that crimes against women are on the rise in the State.

The Hindu's conversations with women voters across the city brought to the fore their priorities that extend beyond welfare schemes. The women stressed that their voting choices are shaped by a combination of welfare benefits, household economics, civic infrastructure, performance, and the accessibility of local representatives.

"The free bus travel has really helped me and my daughter. I work at a cloth store in Jagadamba Junction, while my daughter is pursuing Intermediate first year. My son, who is studying Class IX, is getting Thalliki Vandanam benefits," said K. Sujatha, a resident of Madhurawada.

However, K. Jyothi, who runs a tiffin shop in Kancharapalem, lamented the soaring prices of daily commodities. She said that the prices of rice, cooking oil, and vegetables, including tomatoes, had increased over the past few months. She added that the subsidized facilities at Rythu Bazaars were not sufficient to meet demand. "We run households, and due to the increase in the budget, it is becoming difficult for people like us to manage everyday expenses," she said.

P. Rajeswari of Gajuwaka said, "The previous corporator helped us access government schemes and obtain other services from the government while remaining accessible to people over the years."

Many young women stated that the present government is seriously trying to bring the IT boom to Visakhapatnam, and this could help them build their careers. However, there is also a section of voters criticizing the government for deforestation for the data centre.