Amit Rajsingh / Wire
When a few women from nearby villages met Nitish Kumar recently over the issue of widespread alcoholism in rural areas, he was quick to respond, “These women are right. If I return to power, I will have it (alcohol) stopped.”
Many thought of it as a poll gimmick or a not so serious quip by the seasoned politician, but those who have followed the Chanakya of Bihar politics know that he was targeting a very valuable vote bank i.e. the women voters of the state. In similar fashion, Nitish announced that almost 3.5 lakh contractual teachers will get on to a pay scale, which amounts to a pay hike from August 1. Point to be noted: half of the teachers are women.
The message is clear. In Bihar where political fortunes rest on caste, having the support of women voters can change the game for Nitish. Nitish doesn’t want this time-tested vote bank to slip away from his hands.
In a caste entrenched society of Bihar, women voters are ‘caste neutral’. Generally, it is perceived that women vote in a similar fashion as their male family members. But such an assumption is clearly unfair to their mature political understanding. more
When a few women from nearby villages met Nitish Kumar recently over the issue of widespread alcoholism in rural areas, he was quick to respond, “These women are right. If I return to power, I will have it (alcohol) stopped.”
Many thought of it as a poll gimmick or a not so serious quip by the seasoned politician, but those who have followed the Chanakya of Bihar politics know that he was targeting a very valuable vote bank i.e. the women voters of the state. In similar fashion, Nitish announced that almost 3.5 lakh contractual teachers will get on to a pay scale, which amounts to a pay hike from August 1. Point to be noted: half of the teachers are women.
The message is clear. In Bihar where political fortunes rest on caste, having the support of women voters can change the game for Nitish. Nitish doesn’t want this time-tested vote bank to slip away from his hands.
In a caste entrenched society of Bihar, women voters are ‘caste neutral’. Generally, it is perceived that women vote in a similar fashion as their male family members. But such an assumption is clearly unfair to their mature political understanding. more
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