The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : A point to ponder for poll pundits

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

A point to ponder for poll pundits

By Our Staff Reporter

ELURU, APRIL 27. In West Godavari district where women voters outnumber men by nearly 38,000, the pattern with respect to the break-up of male-female voters observed during the polling on Monday seems to be a point to ponder for the poll pundits.

Interestingly, men outnumbered women voters in exercising their franchise. The trend appears to be somewhat contrary to so-called women's empowerment.

According to the data provided by the District Election Officer, Sanjay Jaju, the voting pattern on this score was identical in 11 out of 14 Assembly segments that went to the polls on Monday in the second phase.

In the Tadepalligudem Assembly segment 63,119 men cast their votes as against the participation of 59,059 women voters in the exercise; in Ungutur 76,364 men exercised their franchise as against 69,671 votes cast by women; the turnout of men in Denduluru was registered at 63,376 as against women-voters who stood at 60, 789; in Eluru the number of men was registered at 57,199 as against 55,870 women voters; Chintalapudi, represented by the Minister for Major Industries, Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao, too did go the same way with 77,463 votes cast by men as against 73,810 votes by women. However, the case of Tanuku was exceptional where the women voters (64,925) outnumbered men (62,709).

Similar was the trend in the Narasapur Lok Sabha constituency to the exception of the Penugonda and Attili Assembly segments. The Narasapur Assembly constituency, represented by the Minister for Power, K. Subbarayudu, recorded more number of men (65,168) than women voters (61,649); in Palacole the turnout of men was recorded at 48,736 and women voters at 47,264; the participation of men (48,047) in polling in Achanta was higher than women (45,429); in Bhimavaram the number of men was registered at 62,578 as against 61,920 votes cast by women; Undi registered votes polled by men at 59,047 as against women voters of 56,826.

The trend in Attili, represented by the Minister for Endowments, Dandu Sivarama Raju, and Penugonda was other way round.

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