Women turned out more but TMC failed to reap gains as BJP welfare pitch reshaped support
Times of India | 5 May 2026
Kolkata: The 2026 Bengal assembly election exposed a sharp political rupture: women turned out in higher numbers than men, yet the Trinamool Congress failed to convert that participation into support.
The BJP's tactical U-turn in Bengal — promising to double benefits under the Trinamool govt's Lakshmir Bhandar and Yuva Sathi schemes — appears to have weakened the ruling party's hold over women voters. Amplifying this was the BJP's pitch for the women's reservation bill, obfuscating Trinamool's strategy.
Female voters have been a key pillar of TMC's electoral strength since 2011. Yet its women-focused welfare schemes failed to swing support in its favour, culminating in the party's landslide defeat.
Provisional figures for the first two phases, released by the EC, show higher turnout percentage among women than men. The trend of women outvoting men, observed in the 2021 assembly polls, has sharpened in 2026. Combined data for the two phases puts female turnout at 93.2%, compared with 91.7% for men, widening the gap to 1.5 percentage points.
Mamata Banerjee has long cultivated her image as Bengal's "elder sister," anchoring a pro-woman strategy that helped her dislodge the Left Front and hold off the BJP. After the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where TMC won 29 of 42 seats, analyses suggested women were central to her support, with around 53% backing her, largely due to targeted welfare schemes.
However, observers point to a shift this time. Schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar and Kanyashree appeared less effective amid rising aspirations for jobs and economic mobility. Sabar Institute researcher Sabir Ahamed said, "Despite a huge number of women voters participating in the polls, TMC did not reap its benefit this time. Women responded significantly to the issue of women's safety, which the BJP raised repeatedly along with the job scam… BJP's cash transfer schemes with higher monetary value may have been appealing."
Cash transfer promises triggered a direct contest. While Trinamool expanded its welfare net — including Lakshmir Bhandar, Kanyashree, Rupasree and Banglar Yuva Sathi — the BJP countered with higher payouts, alongside pledges on jobs, safety and healthcare.
Former Rabindra Bharati VC Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury said, "It seems that women do not just want financial aid but employment opportunities and a vision for the future."