Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Transgender Voter Count in Maharashtra Surges Over Decade

Pune: In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, male and female voters were registered separately in the country while transgenders were not registered separately. But for the first time during the 2014 elections, after the Supreme Court's order, there was a third category of transgender along with male and female voters. At that time, 918 transgender voters were registered in the state. In the last 10 years, that number has risen to 5,617. Thane has registered the highest number of transgender voters.

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In 2014, 918 transgender voters were registered in the state. The number more than doubled to 2,086, according to voter registration for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. There are currently 5,617 transgender voters in the total number of voters in the state who were elected till April 4 for the Lok Sabha elections. The highest number of transgender voters have been registered in Thane district, where 1,279 voters have been registered. As many as 812 transgender voters have been registered in Mumbai suburbs and 728 in Pune.

This year, 10 transgender voters have been registered in Gondia, nine in Gadchiroli, seven in Hingoli, five in Bhandara and one in Sindhudurg. Transgender activists Gauri Sawant, Pranit Hate and Zainab Patel will act as election goodwill ambassadors. Transgender voters first got the right to vote in 2014 following a Supreme Court order, and since then the group has been listed as transgender. Registrations in 2019 showed a doubling of the number of voters in the transgender category. In 2024, the number of transgender voters has more than doubled. This means that today transgenders are also aware of their right to vote and are coming forward to register to vote.