Hema Malini banks on women voters in Mathura constituency

, Apr 18:

candidate from Mathura Lok Sabha constituency

is trying to woo

electors which are expected to play an important role in the elections.

Out of the total 16,83,994 electors in the constituency, 7,50,471 are women voters. "Women normally, prefer a woman candidate. We are trying to win over voters of this category in favour of Hema Malini," former UP Minister Ravi Kant Garg said. But history speaks otherwise, and woman voters had been indifferent to woman candidates in Mathura Lok Sabha elections so far.

Even powerful Lok Dal candidate Gayatri Devi, wife of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, had to suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of Congress candidate Manvendra Singh in 1984 Lok Sabha elections. Gayatri Devi could only poll 1,59,848 votes against Congress candidate Manvendra Singh who polled 2,63,248 votes.

Similarly, sister of RLD chief Ajit Singh, Dr Gyanvati Singh, had to accept an ignominious defeat in 2004 Lok Sabha elections when she polled 1,44,314 votes against Congress candidate Manvendra Singh who polled 1,87,376 votes. However, there has been a lot of change in the thinking and awareness of women voters, ever since they have been given better representation in the local bodies.

While earlier the elected woman candidates were banking on their husband's name and assistance, now most of them are working independently. "The woman chairperson of different town areas and Municipal board, are now running their town area very well without the assistance of their husband," the Divisional President of Sthaniya Nikay Association (An association of local bodies), Shiv Shankar Verma claimed.

"Earlier I was taking help of my husband, however, now except for few technical matters, I am running my Nagar Palika independently. "I feel that all the women voters should unite and elect cine actress Hema Malini as the first woman MP from the seat," Manisha Gupta, the chairperson of Mathura Nagar Palika said.

Similarly Saroj Sharma, Chairperson of the Goverdhan town is running her town area efficiently even when roughly 10 lakh pilgrims visit Goverdhan town for Parikrama every year. "I have developed confidence ever since I started taking decisions in the interest of people of my area. It would be my endeavor to present an example of clean administration so that more ladies join politics," she said.

Nagar Panchayat Bajna Chairperson Rashmi Devi and Nagar Panchayat Chairperson Mahaban Bhagwan Devi are also running their town area independently. Popular opinion among women voters, however, puts BJP candidate Hema Malini far ahead in the race. "If the crowd that gathers everywhere during her canvassing, is converted into votes, I can say that she is sitting on drivers seat," Meenakshi, a lecturer in degree college said.

PTI