Political parties field few women in Haryana assembly polls

As Haryana gets ready to elect a new legislative assembly later this month, not many women figure in the list of candidates of most political parties, including the ruling BJP and the Congress. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded 12 women candidates while the Congress has given tickets to 10 for elections to the 90-member Haryana Assembly, according to the lists released by the two parties.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which had earlier said it will give 33 per cent tickets to women, has fielded 15 female candidates. Fledgling Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), a breakaway of the INLD, has fielded seven women.

Prominent among the women candidates of the BJP are international wrestler Babita Phogat from Dadri; Prem Lata, wife of former Union minister Birender Singh, from Uchana Kalan; minister Kavita Jain from Sonipat; actress Sonali Phogat from Adampur; Latika Sharma from Kalka; and Seema Trikha from Badkhal. From Punhana assembly segment in Muslim-dominated Mewat district, the BJP has fielded Nauksham Chaudhary (28), a postgraduate in history from Miranda House, Delhi University.

The BJP denied tickets to a few sitting women MLAs, including Rohita Rewri from Panipat, Santosh Yadav from Ateli and Santosh Sarwan from Mullana. The 10 women candidates fielded by the Congress are: senior party leader Kiran Chaudhary from Tosham, Shakuntla Khatak from Kalanaur, Geeta Bhukkal from Jhajjar, Renu Bala from Sadhaura, Shalley from Naraingarh, Nirmal from Yamunanagar, Vidya Rani from Narwana, Venu Singla from Ambala, Navjot Kashyap from Indri and Bala Devi from Uklana seat.

JJP leader Dushyant Chautala has fielded his mother Naina Chautala from Badhra seat. She is pitted against Congress candidate Ranbir Singh Mahendra, son of former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal. Haryana will go to polls on October 21. Counting of votes will be held on October 24.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)