Jharkhand Assembly Elections: Hemanth Soren's Women-Focused Strategy Wins Historic Elections
 

The Jharkhand Assembly election witnessed a historic win for the opposition party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, which won 34 seats. Though Congress won 16 and other parties like RJD and CPI (M) also did well, it was at the behest of women voters that sealed the fate in favor of Chief Minister Hemanth Soren. His victory was more than consolidated by the "Maiyan Samman Yojana"-a women-centric welfare scheme which heralded the rising tide of feminine influence in this state.

The Impact of Maiyan Samman Yojana

One major game-changers in these elections were the Maiyan Samman Yojana. Launched by Hemanth Soren, the scheme provided ₹1,000 per month for women in the age group 21 to 50 years. The scheme targeted below the poverty line, indigenous, and marginalized women, especially those from tribal communities, and provided them financial support, which was a significant factor in getting their votes. Jharkhand women responded enthusiastically with women voter turnout outnumbering the male participation by more than 5 lakh votes.

Women Empowerment as an Election-Winning Formula

A unique factor marking Hemanth Soren's election campaign was the focus on women empowerment. The fact is that, as in other states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, welfare programs for women become effective formulas to win elections. The success of welfare programs for women by Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Madhya Pradesh and Eknath Shinde in Maharashtra inspired Hemanth Soren. However, in Jhhand, he made a bigger-ticket promise by raising the promised amount from ₹1,000 to ₹2,500, which would immensely attract more support from women voters .

BJP's strategy backfires

BJP, realizing the strength of women-centric schemes, vowed to offer ₹2,100 every month to women when it will come into the government. But Hemanth Soren was one step ahead to increase the amount up to ₹2,500 before the election and that paid rich dividends at the hustings. Women of Jharkhand, particularly in Santhal Pargana, Kolhan, and Palamu, gave the thumbs up for Soren's scheme and that paved way for the heavy mandate.

Hemanth Soren's Effective Leadership and Family Support

Hemanth Soren's victory has not only been achieved due to his political acumen, but also due to the strong backing by his family members. His wife, Kalpana Soren, was instrumental in campaigning for the election, and as she emerged victorious in the by-election held in Gandey. Popularity amongst female voters also rose for Hemanth, as Kalpana could connect with the audience by talking about the biased approach of the central government towards her husband.

Back to Power for Hemanth Soren

With women voters playing a crucial role in his success, Hemanth Soren is set to return to power with a far stronger mandate. The combined efforts of Hemanth Soren, his family, and his women-centric policies helped the JMM push aside BJP's tactics, ensuring a decisive victory in Jharkhand's assembly elections.

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