Women have moved ahead of men in Karnataka’s electoral rolls by nearly 3.7 lakh, but the figures leave a key question unanswered: what explains the reversal in a state where men have historically outnumbered women among registered voters? The latest provisional data, compiled by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Karnataka up to October 16, show 2.28 crore women electors and 2.25 crore men, according to a report by the Times of India.
The difference is striking, but its cause cannot yet be established from the available numbers. Prof CM Lakshmana of the Population Research Centre at the Institute for Social and Economic Change cautioned against drawing conclusions without more detailed data.
