GUWAHATI, April 18 - Even as the people of the State are eagerly waiting for the counting day on May 19, it is interesting to note that the turnout among female voters exceeded that of their male counterparts in a majority of the Legislative Assembly Constituencies (LACs) that went to the polls recently.
A study of the voter turnout report available with the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Assam, shows that in 68 out of the 126 LACs of the State, the turnout percentage of female electorate was more than that of male voters.
However, the proportion of such LACs was more in the Upper Assam, hill districts, North Bank and Barak Valley areas, which went to the polls in the first phase as compared to the Lower Assam belt that voted during the second phase.
Out of the 126 LACs in the State, 65 had gone to the polls in the first phase and 61 in the second phase.
Of the 65 LACs where voting took place in the first phase, the turnout of female voters was more than that of male voters in 44 LACs. Another 24 LACs, out of 61, saw higher participation of female voters during the second phase.
Of the 27 old districts (not taking into account the five new districts which were created recently by dividing some old ones) of the State, the total turnout percentage of female electorate was more than that of male voters in 14 districts.
They are Karimganj (male 77.83 per cent, female 78.55 per cent), Karbi Anglong (male 80.98, female 82.13), Udalguri (male 81.94, female 83.18), Sonitpur (male 83.27, female 85.19), Golaghat (male 83.90, female 84.60), Jorhat (male 81.61, female 82.90), Sivasagar (male 84.31, female 85.05), Lakhimpur (male 84.21, female 86.31), Dhemaji (male 79.45, female 83.24), Tinsukia (male 81.17, female 81.74), Bongaigaon (male 88.69, female 90.04), Nalbari (male 86.50, female 87.65), Baksa (male 81.97, female 83.37) and Nagaon (male 86.38 per cent, female 87.22 per cent).
Of the five LACs of Karimganj district, three (Patharkandi, Karimganj North and Karimganj South) witnessed higher female voter turnout.
In Cachar district, two (Dholai and Lakhipur) of the seven LACs were in that category, while in Karbi Anglong three (Bokajan, Howraghat and Diphu) of the four LACs saw higher turnout of women voters than that of men.
All three LACs (Panery, Udalguri and Majbat) located in Udalguri district had the distinction of more women turning up to vote than men, percentage-wise.
Similarly, all six LACs of Jorhat district (Dergaon, Jorhat, Teok, Titabor, Mariani and Majuli), all four LACs of Lakhimpur district (Bihpuria, Naoboicha, Lakhimpur and Dhakuakhana) and both LACs of Dhemaji district (Dhemaji and Jonai) also witnessed the same phenomenon.
In Sonitput district, seven (Dhekiajuli, Barchalla, Rangapara, Sootea, Biswanath, Behali and Gohpur) out of the eight LACs reported higher female voter turnout, while it was also the case in three (Bokakhat, Sarupathar and Golaghat) of the four LACs of Golaghat district and five (Amguri, Thowra, Nazira, Mahmara and Sonari) out of the six LACs located in Sivasagar district.
Higher turnout of women electorate as compared to males was also reported from three (Moran, Tingkhong and Naharkatia) of the seven LACs of Dibrugarh district and three (Tinsukia, Margherita and Sadiya) of the five LACs of Tinsukia district.
In the second phase, similar trend was witnessed in one LAC (Bilasipara East) out of seven in Dhubri district, one (Kokrajhar West) of three LACs of Kokrajhar district and one (Bijni) of the two LACs of Chirang district.
All three LACs each of Bongaigaon district (Bongaigaon, Abhayapuri North and Abhayapuri South), Nalbari district (Nalbari, Barkhetri and Dharmapur) and Baksa district (Tamulpur, Barama and Chapaguri) reported higher turnout of female voters compared to male voters.
Likewise, two (Dudhnoi and Goalpara East) out of four LACs of Goalpara district, one (Patacharkuchi) out of eight LACs of Barpeta district, one (Rangiya) out of six LACs of Kamrup, and one (Morigaon) of the three LACs of Morigaon district witnessed a similar pattern of turnout.
Of the 11 LACs located in Nagaon district, the participation rate of female electorate was more than that of male electorate in seven constituencies (Raha, Batadroba, Nagaon, Barhampur, Jamunamukh, Hojai and Lumding).
However, none of the LACs located in Dima Hasao, Hailakandi, Kamrup Metro and Mangaldoi districts figure in the list of those with higher turnout of female voters as compared to male voters.
The overall turnout during the elections was also higher at 84.81 per cent for female voters as compared to 84.64 per cent for male voters.
