NDTV visited Asia's largest all-women market to find out what Imphal's women feel about upcoming polls
73-year-old Jamini Devi is busy selling her handmade traditional Manipuri weaves at Imphal's busy Ima market. She smiles tellingly, when asked about demonetisation.
4,000 women vendors here including Jamini Devi have faced hardships because of the notes ban. Last December, her earnings went down by 50 per cent but she still supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi's action.
"Narendra Modi did a good thing by notes ban and it would be good for the country," Jamini Devi told NDTV.
In the state of Mary Kom, Sarita Devi and Irom Sharmila, women aren't just voters, but take the lead in political campaigns as well.
But despite this, the representation of women in the state legislative assembly has been dismal.
NDTV visited Asia's largest all-women market - the Ima Keithal to find out what Imphal's women feel about the upcoming polls.
"This time around women voters are key, they have to carefully vote. There is Congress - it had ruled for so many years, PRJA candidates are also in fray," Bimola Devi puts it straight.
But the notes ban, isn't their only challenge.
After the January 2016 massive earthquake jolted the concrete permanent sheds of the market that Congress government had built for women vendors, half the vendors have been shifted to a makeshift shed nearby and this has hurt business.
"I think if BJP comes it might make new permanent sheds quickly, the ruling government always makes promises but does not keep it," said Nignthoiyambi, a vendor from Ima market.
Of Manipur's over 19 lakh voters, there are nearly 6 lakh 69 thousand women voters but only 10 women are contesting - but representation aside, they have other worries.
"They feed the children, serve their parents, but many of the husbands are still unemployed, these women have to earn for the family which is very hard," said G Sanatombi Devi, a retired government school teacher and woman vendor from Imphal.
From sports to mass agitations to local trade, women have been in the fore front of daily life in Manipur and in this election which way the women would vote would decide upon the political fortunes of the key political parties.