In Four Northeastern States, Female Voters Surpass Male Counterparts with a Higher Gender Ratio

Imphal/Aizawl, Jan 7 (NationPress) Female voters have outnumbered their male counterparts in the electoral lists of four northeastern states: Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh. In these states, the overall gender ratio is notably higher than the national average, as stated by officials on Tuesday.

The final electoral rolls for these states, released by the Election Commission of India on Monday as part of the Special Summary Revision 2025, indicate that women are outpacing men.

In comparison to the national gender ratio of 948, Manipur boasts a gender ratio of 1,070, while Mizoram has 1,066, Arunachal Pradesh stands at 1,037, and Meghalaya at 1,028.

Election officials noted that over the years, the number of female voters has consistently surpassed that of male electors in Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh.

The national gender ratio on electoral rolls rose from 940 in 2023 to 948 in 2024, according to the officials.

In Manipur, Chief Electoral Officer Pradeep Kumar Jha reported that, similar to previous electoral rolls, women voters numbered 10,61,979, surpassing the male electorate of 9,92,140.

He confirmed that the final electoral rolls show a gender ratio of 1,070, slightly up from 1,069 in the draft rolls published on October 29, 2024.

The elector population ratio is recorded at 55.37 percent, an increase from 54.84 percent in the previous draft rolls.

The total number of voters in Manipur according to the final electoral rolls is 20,54,387, reflecting a net increase of 19,727, with 10,61,979 female voters, 9,92,140 male voters, and 268 third-gender individuals.

In Arunachal Pradesh, out of 8,91,518 total electors, there are 4,37,609 male voters, 4,53,905 female voters, and four third-gender voters.

State's Joint Chief Electoral Officer Liken Koyu stated that the final electoral rolls for 2025 show an overall increase of 0.99 percent in the number of electors compared to last year's total.

In Meghalaya, characterized by a matrilineal society, out of 22,69,512 voters, there are 11,50,599 female voters, 11,18,907 male electors, and six third-gender voters.

Mizoram has 4,48,925 female electors, outnumbering 4,20,888 male electors by 28,037. Election officials in Aizawl reported a 1.5 percent increase in voter count for 2025, totaling 8,69,813.

Among Mizoram's 11 districts, Mamit is the only district where male voters exceed female voters by 576. In the November 2023 assembly elections, Mizoram made history by electing three women candidates to the 40-member Assembly.

Poll winner Zoram People's Movement candidate Lalrinpuii won from the Lunglei East constituency, alongside her party colleague and television presenter Baryl Vanneihsangi from the Aizawl South-3 seat. Pravo Chakma of the Mizo National Front (MNF) secured the West Tuipui seat.

In the November 7, 2023 assembly elections, 174 candidates, including 16 women, contested, whereas in 2018, 209 candidates, including 18 women, ran.

In the 2013 assembly elections, 136 candidates, including six women, competed, but no women candidates won in 2013 or 2018.

The first woman elected to the legislature in Mizoram, which became a Union Territory in 1972 with a 30-member legislature, was L. Thanmawii from the People's Conference (PC) in 1978.

K.Thansiami of the same party was the second woman elected in 1984, followed by Lalhlimpuii of the MNF, who became the first woman minister in 1987 under former Chief Minister Laldenga.

Lalhlimpuii served as a minister for 19 months before the government fell in late 1988.

In the 2023 assembly elections in Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Tripura, the performance of women candidates showed slight improvement compared to previous elections.

In many societal and domestic spheres, women in most northeastern states hold leading roles, yet they remain marginalized in political and governance areas.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujitchakrabortyne@gmail.com)