Female Voters Outnumber Males in Warangal, Karimnagar Municipal Polls Today

 Karimnagar: Female voters are the kingmakers in the upcoming municipal and corporation elections being held on Wednesday, February 11, in the erstwhile Warangal and Karimnagar districts.

Final electoral rolls reveal that women outnumber men in almost all the 27 urban local bodies (ULBs) in these districts, shifting the focus of political campaigns toward the women's vote.

In the erstwhile Karimnagar district, women represent the majority in 13 out of 15 urban centres. In Karimnagar city alone, there are 1,70,858 female voters compared to 1,69,679 males. This trend is mirrored in Jagtial with 48,742 female and 46,039 male voters and Korutla with 32,901 female and 30,604 male voters. To accommodate this demographic reality, several chairperson seats, including Huzurabad (SC), Choppadandi (SC) and Jagtial (BC) have been reserved for women.

Similarly, in the erstwhile Warangal district, woman power is undeniable. Except for Bhupalpally, every municipality in the region, including Narsampet, Mahabubabad and Jangaon, has a higher number of female voters. In Narsampet, which is reserved for a BC woman, there are 21,323 female voters against 19,642 males. Even in general category wards like Wardhannapet, the female population remains the dominant voting bloc.

With the realisation that victory is impossible without the support of women, candidates have launched aggressive outreach programmes. Campaigning has shifted from public squares to household doorsteps, with candidates' spouses and female family members leading the charge.

Focus is on self-help groups (SHGs) and women's associations, with promises to solve long-standing issues of drinking water shortages and sanitation.

High stakes have, however, led to electoral inducements. Sources indicate that some candidates are attempting to woo women voters through distribution of sarees, silver coins, and cash.

Dominance of inti devatalu is clearly defining the political narrative, indicating that in this election, the power will lie with women.

In erstwhile Karimnagar district :

In erstwhile Warangal District :