Nothing before our safety, inflation: Women

Patna: “Pehle matdan, phir ghar ka kaam,” said Prerna Tiwari, a homemaker residing at Pataliputra Colony, who had come to cast her vote at Notre Dame Academy booth on Wednesday morning. Female voters were seen making a beeline for several polling booths in the city and they outlined inflation and women safety as the two major issues this election.
Many women like Tiwari had come to cast their vote early morning as they feared they might not get time after getting involved in daily household chores.“Development and rising prices are the biggest issues for homemakers. I want a government that will bring my kitchen’s budget under control,” said Vinita Mishra, who was at the Pataliputra Cooperative Society booth on Wednesday. Her sister-in-law Shobha had also come to exercise her franchise after 15 years.
For Boring Road homemaker Sumitra Manubansh too, keeping prices in check was a deciding factor for her vote.
Similar views were also echoed by Namrata Singh, a private schoolteacher, who also wanted the education system in the state to improve.
While the ‘home ministers’ said the next government should check the rising prices of essential commodities, young girls said they wanted a safe environment under the next government. “We all want to see Bihar’s development but for me, my safety comes first. I also want better higher education options and increased job opportunities in the state, so that I don’t have to go outside to work,” said Richa, a Boring Road resident who was at the A N College booth on Wednesday noon. She was also sad at the low turnout at the booth and said election has lost its craze among urban voters.
Interestingly, quite a few women voters said they were not influenced by the electoral choice of their husbands. With Internet, smartphones and media making their way in every household, women are not just better informed but even participate in dinner table political discussions.
Businessman Rahul Kumar and his wife Sujata had come together to their polling booth at Loyola High School, but voted differently. “His concerns are relating to a better environment for his business. Whereas, I want a safer city for women and decrease in prices of groceries. I don’t think his candidate will be able to do that for me, so I have voted differently. It’s a democracy after all,” said Sujata.