Patna: Bihar recorded its highest-ever voter turnout at 67 percent this election, with women voting in greater numbers than men by a margin of nine percent — roughly five lakh more women voters. This marks the first time in the state’s electoral history that women have decisively outnumbered men at the polling booths.
According to a poll-of-polls analysis of 16 exit polls, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is projected to win 154 of 243 seats, securing another term in power. Political observers attribute this strong showing largely to the unprecedented participation of women voters and the Nitish Kumar government’s long-standing focus on women-centric welfare schemes.
1. Women Outvote Men — A Dramatic Turnaround
In 1962, women’s turnout in Bihar was 23 percent lower than men’s. The trend has since reversed. In the past three elections — 2010, 2015, and 2020 — women consistently voted in higher numbers. In 2020, women outvoted men in 167 of 243 constituencies, underscoring a lasting shift in Bihar’s voting dynamics.
2. Women’s Votes Strengthened NDA in 2020
The Lokniti-CSDS post-poll survey from 2020 found that 2.08 lakh more women voted for the NDA than for the Grand Alliance. Of the 2.08 crore women who voted that year, 38 percent supported the NDA compared to 37 percent for the Grand Alliance.
The NDA won 92 of the 167 seats where women’s turnout was higher than men’s — a success rate exceeding 55 percent. In 37 of the 43 seats won by JD(U) and 55 of the 74 won by the BJP, women voters outnumbered men.
3. Women’s Caste-Based Preferences Differ from Men’s
Analysts say women’s caste-based voting trends often diverge from men’s. Women are more likely to back welfare-oriented policies, particularly those linked to financial aid, education, and household welfare, rather than traditional caste loyalties.
4. Competing Promises: Cash Schemes Dominate Campaigns
The NDA and Grand Alliance both made women’s welfare central to their manifestos.
The Nitish Kumar government’s record includes distributing ₹10,000 each to 1.21 crore women before the polls, providing schoolgirls with bicycles and uniforms, 50 percent reservation in panchayats, prohibition laws to curb domestic violence, and 35 percent reservation for women in state jobs (restricted to women from Bihar since July 2025).
In August 2025, the government launched the Women’s Employment Scheme, transferring the first ₹10,000 installment just before elections. Multiple other welfare programs directly benefited women across age groups.
The Grand Alliance countered with a direct cash promise — ₹30,000 annually for every woman starting January 14. It also pledged government employee status and a ₹30,000 monthly salary for Jeevika Didis, land ownership rights for women, increased pensions for widows and the elderly, and fee waivers or subsidies for girls studying medicine and engineering.
5. Women’s Schemes Have a 90% Success Rate Across States
Since late 2023, cash schemes for women have influenced election outcomes in nine of ten states where they were introduced.
In Madhya Pradesh, ₹11,000 was credited in six installments under the Ladli Behna Yojana before polls, helping the BJP overcome anti-incumbency.
In Maharashtra, CM Eknath Shinde’s Majhi Ladki Behen Yojana disbursed ₹7,500 to 2.34 crore women in five tranches, contributing to Mahayuti’s landslide win.
In Jharkhand, Hemant Soren’s Maiyaan Samman Yojana transferred ₹4,000 across four installments — the final one just before polling day — bolstering voter trust and ensuring his return to power.
6. Experts: Women Are the Decisive Force Behind Nitish’s Comeback
Political analysts agree that women have become the driving force in Bihar’s politics.
Senior journalist Neerja Chaudhary noted that Nitish Kumar’s 2005 schemes for girls’ education created a generation of empowered women now influencing family voting decisions. “The women he helped two decades ago are now ensuring his return to power,” she said.
Election analyst Amitabh Tiwari of Vote Vibe described the new political equation as simple: “Launch welfare schemes, transfer money to women’s accounts, and secure votes. Women and EBC voters are Nitish’s strongest base.”
Delhi University’s Aditi Narayan Paswan observed that gender has emerged as a decisive voting factor. “Earlier, women voted as directed by family members. Now they make independent choices, especially when welfare schemes directly benefit them,” she said.
Patna University’s Aviral Pandey added, “Women’s trust in Nitish has grown over two decades. The pre-poll ₹10,000 transfer only reinforced that bond.”
Limited Representation Despite Higher Turnout
Despite women’s growing political influence, parties have fielded relatively few women candidates. The NDA nominated 34 women (13 each from BJP and JD(U)), while the Grand Alliance nominated 30 (24 from RJD, 5 from Congress). Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party gave 25 tickets to women, about 10 percent of its total.
Bihar’s 243-member assembly should ideally have 80 women MLAs once the 33 percent reservation provision takes effect.
As Bihar’s record-breaking female voter turnout reshapes the political narrative, analysts say the state may once again offer a blueprint for women-led electoral shifts — a trend increasingly visible across India’s political landscape.
