As Table 1 shows, 37% men and 36% women voted for the BJP this time. The gap was more or less been the same in the past. The Congress, on the other hand, enjoys more support among women than men.
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During the 2019 general elections, the BJP’s success was linked to its popular welfare schemes, particularly those that targeted women voters. Yet, our data show that even then, the BJP was a less preferred party for women. This is the case in 2024 too.
Why is this the case? One, until 2014, the BJP had a limited overall vote share. Not many women really voted for the party even if we take into account their absolute numbers. Second, the BJP was known as a party of the socially privileged sections and thus had a somewhat skewed social support base. These factors combined provide a possible explanation for the party’s gender disadvantage until now.
As Table 2 shows, the skew is evident in 2024. In other words, despite its expanded social support base, the BJP still faces loss of support among women.
Rajeshwari Deshpande teaches at Savitribai Phule Pune University