Sustained efforts by the Election Commission of India (ECI) resulted in the Electoral Gender Ratio (EGR) of Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) rising from 1,013 in the year 2014 to 1,036 as on January 10, 2024.
During a media briefing on the preparedness for general elections in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said he was happy but not over joyous about it. He further said that only a high turnout of women voters during the ensuing elections would serve the purpose of the ECI’s hard work.
He observed that the State’s EGR was healthy, the real challenge lies in making all of them cast their votes, suggesting that it would be a significant step towards women empowerment.
As per the data furnished by the CEC, Andhra Pradesh’s EGR (female electors present in electoral rolls against 1,000 male electors) climbed up from 1,013 in 2014 to 1,021 in 2019, from where it went up further to 1,027 in 2023 and then to the present 1,036.
The EGR is more than 1,000 in 159 out of 175 Assembly constituencies and women voters in the 18-19 age bracket stands at 3.50 lakh.
A total of 5.05 lakh first time voters have been added since the draft publication of electoral rolls on October 27, 2023. The State has 5.80 lakh persons aged more than 80 years and 1,174 older than 100. January 22 has been set as the date for publication of the final electoral rolls.
ECI pegged the total population of 11 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups at 4,29,106 and their 18+ population at 2,94,750.
As far as the other data is concerned, A.P. has 46,165 Polling Stations (34,187 in the rural areas and 11,978 in cities and towns with an average of 870 per polling station. The term of A.P. Legislative Assembly is going to end on June 11, 2024 by which time a new government has to be in place.
Andhra Pradesh has a total 175 Assembly constituencies (139 general and 29 and 7 constituencies reserved for SCs and STs respectively). Of the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies, 20 are in the general category, four are allotted to SCs and one to STs.
