‘I Will Decide Who I Vote For’: Rural Women on Lok Sabha Polls

All women seem to concur that even after exercising their right to vote, there has been little development.

Some women seem to take into account how their husbands vote, doing ‘as their family says’.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

Editor: Prashant Chauhan
Producer: Aastha Gulati
Reporters: Nikkita Sharma, Akash Bhakri, Ishadrita Lahiri, Mythreyee Iyer.

“We vote because it is our right.”

Rekha Rani, Jalandhar

In The Quint’s My Report, rural women from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal have spoken about their right to vote independently, without being influenced by their family’s political inclinations.

Maya Chowdhury from Malda says it is her personal matter who she votes for, and it is she who decides. For some women, it matters which neta brings their village progress.

“I tell my husband who I’m voting for. I also look at those who might bring progress.”

Tuni Bibi, Malda

Harjinder Kaur, from Dalelpur says she votes according to her own will.

“We see if a neta could help us, then we vote for him.”

Harjinder Kaur

Still, some women seem to take into account how their husbands vote, doing ‘as their family says’.

Vandana from Jalandhar says that despite being asked by her parents, it is her own thinking to vote. Pooja from Dalelpur says,

“I go to vote with my husband and vote as he votes. My husband said that we will not vote this time.”

Roshina Debi from Malda thinks similarly.

“I look at who we have been voting for, for all these years. My father-in-law, my husband, my family –they’ve always been voting for the same party.”

However, all women seem to concur that even after exercising their right to vote, there has been little or no development in their villages.

“The MPs come, then plead us to vote for them. They say we will give amenities, but after voting they take a step back. We poor people keep hoping and waiting that our problems will be solved.”

Yashodha, Phillaur

Harjinder Kaur from Dalelpur says that no neta comes to their village after the elections.

“They say they will make bathrooms, but nothing happens. They don’t come till it’s time to vote. After we vote, no one comes.”

For the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, these women put forth their demands as voters.

“I want my village to be developed. There are plenty of problems in our area. For instance, we don’t have a pipeline or a drain.  We are suffering a lot because of these problems.”

Maya Chowdhury

Rekha Rani from Jalandhar says that no one lives up to voters’ expectations.

“We have a lot of expectations but no one lives up to them, whether it’s Congress or Akali Dal.”

Mala from Phillaur echoes the sentiment.

“We want the pucca naalis, pucca roads, bathrooms. Nothing happens here. They say they will give us houses, but nothing happens.”

(All 'My Report' branded stories are submitted by citizen journalists to The Quint. Though The Quint inquires into the claims/allegations from all parties before publishing, the report and the views expressed above are the citizen journalist's own. The Quint neither endorses, nor is responsible for the same.)