Only 3 women among 102 contestants for 10 Assembly seats in J

Jammu, Nov 13 (UNI) Only three female candidates are in the electoral fray among 102 contestants for ten Assembly seats which go to polls in Phase-I on November 17, exhibiting a low participation of fair sex in the politics in Jammu and Kashmir.

Besides Bandipora district in Kashmir and western Poonch district of Jammu, polling in ten Assembly constituencies include Leh and Kargil districts of Laddakh.

Ms Tabassum Bano and Ms Sarita Sharma are the two women contestants from Jammu division in the first phase of polls and both will contest from Poonch-Haveli Assembly constituency in bordering Poonch district.

Ms Gowsia Bashir, who is seeking mandate from Bandipora constituency as an independent, is the lone female candidate from Kashmir valley.

While Ms Tabbasum will contest polls as J&K National Panthers Party candidate, Ms Sharma is fighting the elections on Bhartiya Chaitanya Party ticket.

There is no woman contestant in fray from Laddakh region in the first phase of elections.

UNI VJ PD AS1546