Women remain sidelined for K'taka assembly polls

Bangalore, May 19: Despite tabling Women Reservation Bill in the Parliament, the political will to empower women is under question as the number of Women candidates given tickets by various Political parties was only 32 in the ongoing elections to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

Though the fair sex constitute about 50 per cent of the population, there are less than five per cent (108 candidates) of the total 2242 candidates, in the fray for the elections of which two phases already completed and third phase is due on May 22. The number of women candidates fielded by 7 national parties including BJP, Congress, two left parties, BSP, JD(S) and NCP were put together only 32 to the 224-member House.

Among the main political parties the BJP which has put up its candidates in all the 224 seats has accommodated only 10 women in its candidates list.

Sonia Gandhi led Congress had given ticket to 11 women candidates which is fighting in 222 assembly constituencies, while as many as 10 women nominees were contesting for Mayawati led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The JD(S) which is contesting in as many as 219 seats has fielded 10 women nominees.

The Left parties who were very much vocal in demanding to table Women reservation bill in Parliament recently has however fielded only one Woman candidate among 19 candidates fielded. There are only 45 women candidates among those 898 candidates fighting the elections as independents.
There are 1,96,78,328 women voters of the total 4,00,77,666 voters.

UNI