Financial Dole, Central Schemes & More: How BJP Aims to Woo Women Voters in J&K

The BJP has its eyes set on victory in the upcoming Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections and is currently firming up its strategy with a special focus on women voters.

The party has not only announced that the senior-most female member of a family will be given Rs 18,000 per year but also deployed its women force across districts. A total of 76 women have been put on duty in the 38 assembly seats, especially in the Jammu region.

BJP’s national office-bearer of the women’s wing, Deepti Bhardwaj, is in-charge of leading the group of women, many of whom are from the neighbouring states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and as far Gujarat.

“In each constituency, we have two women leaders who are working timelessly on the ground to strengthen the party. We will continue to work here till the end of the election,” Bharadwaj said.

On ground, these women are focusing on spreading awareness about the benefits of the Union government’s schemes. They are also informing locals about the women-driven schemes by not only explaining their importance but also holding camps to reach out to those who have not been able to reap benefits of the schemes so far.

“Some of our party leaders have been campaigning extensively for our candidate from Kishtwar. Shagun Parihar, our youngest candidate, comes from a family of martyrs. The head of her family was killed by terrorists. She has now taken the resolve to fight the bullet with the ballot,” Bharadwaj told News18.

At the centre of the focus are schemes like Ayushman Bharat, which ensures a health coverage of five lakh, as well as pension schemes that have been a long-pending demand.

Apart from this, several programmes are being held locally in sync with the sentiments of the people. An initiative where women are painting the lotus on their palms with henna has seen active public participation. At various places, women have come out wearing saree with lotus printed on them and participated in bike rally etc.

Man-to-man marking has been yet another successful strategy for the saffron party across various states, including in the last elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The party has deputed its leaders ranging from Union ministers, Members of Parliament to office-bearers to stay camped in states to ensure the party’s win.