Fair Sex Gets Unfair Deal in Bihar Polls?-Oct 09, 2010

Fair Sex Gets Unfair Deal in Bihar Polls?
Patna | Oct 09, 2010
In spite of accounting for nearly half of the total 5.5 crore electorate, no political party has given 33 per cent reservation to women in the 2010 assembly polls in Bihar.

If the four major political players - the ruling JD(U), BJP, Congress, RJD and LJP, besides major left parties are to be taken into account, then the women candidates in fray are just 87 so far.

The ruling JD(U) and BJP have fielded maximum 24 and 11 women candidates, despite the two major NDA allies having set a model to provide 50 per cent seats for women in the panchayati raj institutions and civic bodies.

The RJD and LJP, opposing the passage of the Women's reservation Bill in the present form and favouring a quota within quota, have fielded six and seven candidates respectively.

The Congress, which is contesting all 243 assembly seats in Bihar, has fielded 23 women, while the major left parties - CPI, CPI-M and CPI-ML (Liberation) have fielded three, two and eleven candidates respectively.

This only speaks about the roadblocks in the progress of women For whom, their secured domain still remains their home and not the political arena, remarks social activist Nivedita.

Among the 24 women fielded by ruling JD(U), Guljar Devi is contesting from Phulparas, Sujata Devi from Pipra, Amala Devi (Triveniganj), Bima Bharati, who switched over to the ruling party from RJD, from Rupauli, Lessi Singh (Dhamdaha), Renu Kumari (Bihariganj), Ranju Geeta (Baajpatti), Guddi Devi (Runni Syedpur), Sunita Chouhan (Belsand), Manorama Prasad (Nautan), Meena Dwivedi (Govindganj).

Others who are also in fray on JD(U) tickets, include Poonam Devi (Khagaria), Annu Shukla (Lalganj), Parveen Amanullah, wife of senior IAS Afzal Amanullah, from Sahebpur Kamal, Nita Choudhary (Tarapur), Asha Devi (Barhara), Jyoti Manjhi (Barachati), Usha Sinha (Hilsa) and Poonam Devi (Digha).

BJP has fielded its minister Renu Kumari from Bettiah, Damyanti Yadav (Narpatganj), Sweeti Singh (Kishanganj), Bhagarathi Devi (Ramnagar), Munni Devi (Shahpur), Sukhda Pandey (Buxar), Asha Pathak (Jeerdei), Asha Sinha (Danapur), Usha Vidyarthy (Paliganj) and Veena Devi (Gayghat).

RJD which is contesting 168 of the 243 seats has fielded just six women candidates. They include former Chief Minister Rabri Devi (Raghopur and Sonepur), Aruna Mehta (Nirmali), Shanti Devi (Raniganj), former minister Veena Shahi (Vaishali), Prema Choudhary (Patepur) and Shabnam Parveen, wife of sitting ruling JD(U) MP Monazir Hassan, from Munger.

LJP, in alliance with RJD, is contesting from rest 75 seats and has fielded one more than its ally. It has nominated Sarita Devi (Sonebersa), Lalita Devi Paswan (Bathnaha), Yasmin Sabir Ali (Narkatia), Meena Devi (Bacchwara), Sushila Devi Yadav (Khagaria), Sunita Sharma (Beldaur) and Sonam Devi (Mokama).

Congress which is going alone in all 243 seats has so far given tickets to 23 women.

Prominent among them are Anita Yadav (Phulparas), Sagufta Azim (Sikti), Sanyogita Singh (Barari), Sunita Devi (Korha), Lovely Anand (Alamnagar), Ranjeet Ranjan (Bihariganj), Basanti devi (Rajauli), Nitu Kumari (Hisua), Nivedita Singh (Nawada), Aruna Devi (Warsaliganj) and Shanti Swami (Begusarai).

Others include Sumitra Devi (darauli), Sheila Kushwaha (Dinara), Nilofar Nahid (Banka), Srita Paswan (Rosera) and Abhilasha Oraon (Manihari).

CPI has three women nominees - Usha Sahni (Cheriya Bariarpur), Renu Choudhary (Bihpur) and Suprabha Bharati (Gopalpur) - while its electoral ally CPI-M has given tickets to Vikramsheela Devi (Phulparas) and Sangeeta Bharati (Kusheshwar Sthan).

The 11 women candidates from CPI-ML (Liberation), include Geeta Oraon (Manihari), Shanichari (Darbhanga rural), Malati Devi (Badhariya), Pramila Rai (Samastipur), Shashi Yadav (Hilsa), Meena Tiwari (Ara), Savitri Devi (Nawada), Tetra Devi (Mohania), Reeta Varnawal (Tikari), Sudama Devi (Rajauli) and Leela Verma (Vekram).

Filed On: Oct 09, 2010 14:37 IST , Edited On: Oct 09, 2010 14:37 IST