Aizawl: Women voters will play a key role in the November 25 assembly elections in Mizoram, the only state where women voters outnumber men.
Of the 686,305 voters eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections to the 40-member assembly, 349,506 are women and 336,799 men. In the last assembly polls in 2008, women voters outnumbered men voters by 6,644, and in the 2003 elections by 3,816.
Mizo women contribute enormously to the economy of the state — its domestic affairs, church and social activities but when it comes to politics, assembly and Lok Sabha elections in particular, they have remained in the background in getting due importance.
Of the 142 candidates, only six are women this time. The ruling Congress and main opposition Mizo National Front have fielded one woman candidate each while three women are contesting on the Bharatiya Janata Party ticket. One woman is contesting as an independent candidate. IANS
