Having suffered biggest ever alienation ever since it came to power in 2011 after a number of scams exploded in its face, the Trinamool Congress is heavily banking on the women voters in the coming general elections, inside source say.
The party is heavily relying on the success of the women-centric schemes of which there have been plenty in Bengal even winning it some international accolades in the past several years.
Sources have said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has directed the district administrations and the party men to carry the women-centric schemes to the maximum number of households.
"We have a number of schemes like --- Rupashree (to assist poor women in marriage), Kanyashree (for education of the girl children), Laxmir Bhandar (Rs 500 per month scheme for the women), Sabuj Sathi (free bicycles to school students a large number of who are women) are to name a few … the Chief Minister wants us to take to every household ensuring that not a single family is left out," a TMC leader said
Incidentally the TMC got a large number of women voters in 2021 Assembly elections too helping Banerjee roar back to power for the third consecutive time.
While targeting the women votes the party is also elated about a recent report suggesting an appreciation in the male-female voters' gender ratio in favour of the women.
According to 2024's final electoral roll released by the Election Commission, out of every 1000 male voters there are now 968 female voters. In 2019 there were 949 female voters compared to 1000 men. It had increased further to 961 before the 2021 Assembly polls. The final EC voter data says that there are 3.8 crore males and 3.7 crore out of total 7.5 crore voters.
"Even if we get the votes of half of the women who are benefited from the women-centric schemes then we are sailing through smoothly," said a senior TMC leader looking after the party organization. "Didi has always been of the opinion that the women should be given preference and being someone who has risen from grassroots she knows the requirements of the women and has devised her schemes accordingly … these schemes have not only been copied by the central government and other States but also won accolades from abroad," the leader said.
On some stray survey reports that out of 42 parliamentary seats the TMC may not get more than 10-11 with the BJP taking maximum of them, the leader said, "it could well have been so due to some dishonest leaders and vindictive approach of the ED and CBI but for the women voters who are going to vote for us in large numbers."