Ministry of Panchayati RajGovernment of India

Voting in Panchayat Elections

Panchayat Elections have seen generally higher turnout than General Elections both in terms of total turn out and women’s participation

Name of State

Year of Assembly Election

Voting % Year of Panchayat Elections

Voting % in Panchayat

Election

Jharkhand 2009 58% 2010 70%

Jammu & Kashmir

2008 61% 2011 79%

Reservation for women as Elected Representatives

• 33% in the Constitution • 50% in States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,

Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal

• Women candidates have generally seen higher turnout of women voters.

Upto 5% seats not reserved for women have been won by women.

GRAM SABHA

• Art 243 (b) – ‘Gram Sabha’ means a body consisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village comprised within the area of Panchayat at the village level’.

• Art 243A ‘Gram Sabha – A Gram Sabha may exercise such powers and perform such functions at the village level as the Legislature of a State may, by law, provide’

Participation of women in Gram Sabha

• Presence• Participation• Taking up issues which concern women• Special Gram Sabha meetings related to

women’s issues• Mahila Sabha Meetings• Quorum for women in Gram Sabha

Is there any impact of greater participation of women in Panchayat level and Gram Sabha level in turn out in General Elections?

RAJASTHAN ASSEMBLY POLLS

District 2008 2013

  Male Female Total 

Male Female Total 

Alwar 70.84 68.03 69.52 77.69 77.27 78.12

Dungarpur 58.45 66.37 62.36 68.00 75.86 72.47

Tonk 66.92 61.83 64.39 74.33 71.64 73.87

State Total 67.3 65.39 66.39 74.92 75.52 75.83

Thank you