Rajasthan assembly elections 2023: Parties bet big on women safety, yet go slow in fielding them

According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data, Rajasthan had had reported the maximum number of rape cases in 2021.

Cases of atrocities against women emerged as a key electoral factor in Rajasthan which is holding its 16th Assembly elections on November 25. The BJP repeatedly highlighted this issue in its poll campaigns.

Both Congress and BJP also promised a slew of measures in the election manifestos to ensure women feel safe in the state. During the rallies, while the BJP focused on the increase in cases of atrocities against women under the Congress rule, the Ashok Gehlot-led government showcased its women-centric schemes. At his recent rally in Pali, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Congress has made Rajasthan number one in crimes against women. The CM says that the complaints filed by the women are fake. Can it ever happen that a woman in our country files a fake case?”

There are 2.51 crore women voters in the state for this election. In the 2018 assembly polls, female voter turnout was 74.66 percent.

According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data, Rajasthan had reported the maximum number of rape cases in 2021.  Recently, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said, “If the Congress succeeds (in forming the government), the Talibani mentality will dominate and play with the honour of sisters and daughters.”

Also read: How the Modi factor helped BJP campaign 

After the PM’s accusation, Congress leader Gourav Vallabh questioned the former about actions taken against BJP leader Brij Bhushan Saran Singh. He has been accused of sexual harassment by six wrestlers during his tenure as Wrestling Federation of India chief.

Speaking to ANI, Gourav Vallabh said that the number of crimes that PM Modi mentioned was because the state police are directed to register each case. "In Rajasthan, CM has directed police officers to register an FIR if somebody comes to register a complaint and that's why we have these numbers but in other states, even in case of big crimes there are hardly any FIRs registered. We never support rapists but the BJP has always stood with rapists, not with women and daughters. Can we forget Brij Bhushan Singh?" he said.

In August, Gehlot had also warned that the persons involved in molestation, rape, attempted rape and miscreants will be banned from government jobs.

In its Sankalp Patra, BJP promised to launch Lado Protsahan Yojna, set up at least one “mahila thana” in every district and “mahila desk” in every police station. This apart, the party also plans to form anti-romeo squads in every major city in every major city of the state. BJP also plans to start a network of "pink buses" and ensure that 33 percent of the total personnel in the police force are women.

Meanwhile, Congress also went all out to women voters in its poll manifesto. It promised to deploy 500 “Kalika patrolling teams" at public and educational places, set up fast-track courts to deal with cases related to crime against women and launch the Lakhpati Didi scheme. It also promised free education from kindergarten to post-graduation for girls from poor families. Among other measures, Congress announced that three Mahila Police Battalions would be formed as part of the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary.

While women's issues remained a talking point, their representation in the state’s electoral space is yet to gain momentum. The BJP has fielded only 20 women candidates while the Congress has fielded 28. There are 183 women candidates in the fray.  The figures are a far cry from the promise of 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.