Analysis shows female voter turnout had mixed impact in Bihar, BJP not sole beneficiary

Patna, Nov 20 (IANS) An in-depth analysis of the voting patterns in the just-concluded Bihar Assembly elections has shown that the SIR – which was vilified by the Opposition parties – or the voting percentages had “no impact” on the result, an analyst said on Thursday.

The latest findings of political observers and psephologists also bust the myth that higher female voter percentages in the elections benefited the BJP alone, and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls queered the pitch only for the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Mahagathbandhan.

Data representing the top five Assembly constituencies – out of 243 – with the highest female polling percentage demonstrated that “higher female voter percentages resulted in mixed results. Not in favour of BJP alone,” said an election data analyst.

Of the five constituencies that recorded the highest female polling percentage, the BJP won only one seat of Pranpur (AC 66), said the analyst.

The other four constituencies where female polling percentage was the highest are: Thakurganj (AC 53), which was won by the Janata Dal (United); Kochadhaman (AC 55), won by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM); Baisi (AC 57), won by AIMIM; and Amour (AC 56), won by AIMIM.

The analysis shows that the AIMIM won three and the BJP and the JD (U) won one seat each out of the five constituencies, which recorded the highest female polling percentage in the Bihar Assembly elections on 243 seats.

The female polling percentage was the highest in Thakurganj (90.27 per cent), Kochadhaman (89.22 per cent), Pranpur (88.99 per cent), Baisi (88.89) and Amour (88.09), according to data from the Election Commission of India (ECI).

In fact, the BJP managed to win all five constituencies where the female polling percentage was the lowest among the 243 seats. These seats included: Kumhrar (AC 183), Bankipur (AC 182), Digha (AC 181), Biharsharif (AC 172) and Bhagalpur (AC 156).

The lowest female polling percentage was recorded in Kumhrar (39.13 per cent).

An analyst said, “The ECI data demonstrates that higher female voter percentages resulted in mixed results. Not in favour of BJP alone.”

“There is no impact of SIR or voting percentages on the outcome of elections in Bihar. The electors had their way. They chose whomever they wanted,” said the expert.

The election was

–IANS

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