Thiruvananthapuram: The votes cast by women may determine the outcome of the elections as they outnumbered men in most of the constituencies in the state.
However, in Thiruvananthapuram, the women’s voting percentage was only 72.7 while men polled 74.2 percent.
Out of the 2.61 crore voters in the state, 1.26 crore are males, 1.34 crore females and 173 third gender. Half way through the polling, women formed long queues in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram, Vatakara, Kannur and Wayanad. Vatakara recorded 85.9 percent voting by women, as per the figures released by the chief electoral officer.
KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran said that the women in Thiruvananthapuram were put off by the negative Sabarimala campaigns by the LDF and the BJP. The upper caste, especially Nairs, felt that they were cheated by the two fronts. The women in urban areas protested by refusing to vote.
“But we will win hands down in Thiruvananthapuram,” said Mr Mullapally.
There has been a consolidation of Muslim women voters in Vatakara.
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