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Few women, fewer stalwarts

By Aarti Dhar

RAIPUR NOV. 25. The claims by the two major political parties -- the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party -- of their support to 33 per cent reservation for women in the legislative bodies have fallen flat in Chhattisgarh. In all, both parties have fielded only 14 women for the coming Assembly elections -- Congress eight and BJP six -- comprising less than 15 per cent in both cases. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have also fared no better by fielding four women candidates each.

Though the total number women in the fray is 50, six are independent candidates and the rest from smaller parties. The Gondwana Ganatantra Party has fielded three women, of a total of 41 seats it is contesting as is the case with the Chhattisgarh Samajwadi Party, the Republican Party of India (A) and the Samajwadi Party.

This figure too is less than in 1998 which saw 64 women in the fray. That time the Congress put up four women, all of whom won, and the BJP just two, both of whom defected to Congress in 2001. Of these, only one is contesting again. While all six women candidates in the BJP are freshers, four in the Congress are seeking re-election. These are the Social Welfare Minister, Geetadevi Singh, who is from the royal family of Dongargaon; Shyama Dhruva; Phulo Devi Netam and Pratima Chandrakar.

The NCP's strong candidate is Hemwant Porte, the chairperson of the State Women's Commission who is contesting opposite the Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi from Marwahi. Ms. Porte was at one time a close aide of Mr. Jogi who addressed her as `bhabi' (sister-in-law), and wanted to contest from Marwahi where her husband, Bhanwar Singh Porte, had been elected in 1977 and 1980. She joined the NCP on being denied the ticket. Very few women have been given representation in the region since 1977 when only two women, Shashi Prabha Devi and Kamla Devi, both from royal backgrounds were elected. While Shashi Prabha Devi was elected as an independent candidate from Kawardha, Kamla Devi was associated with the Congress from Sariya. She was again elected in 1980 and 1985 while Shashi Prabha Devi was elected under the Congress banner in 1985.

In 1980, Devendra Kumari of the royal family of Surguja was elected as a Congress candidate from Koriya and she was the Irrigation Minister under the Arjun Singh Government in undivided Madhya Pradesh. However, it is Rashmi Devi Singh of the Khairagarh royal family who won four times in a row on the Congress ticket between 1980 and 1993. Again, Geeta Devi will be contesting for the fourth time on the Congress ticket following her victories in 1990, 1993 and 1998.

Among other prominent women candidates are Durgawati (Congress) who won from Mungeli in 1985; Rani Ratnamala Devi from Chandrapur who defected to Congress and has been denied the ticket this time; Karuna Shukla (BJP) who won from Baloda Bazar in 1993; Kumari Pukhraj Singh (independent) Saraipalli in 1985; Jayaben (Congress) from Dhamtari in 1980 and 1985; Pratibha Shah (Congress) of the Chitrakot royal family in 1998 and contesting once again; Kumari Devi Choubey (Congress) from Saja in 1980 and Pratima Chandrakar (Congress) in 1998 and a contestant this time also.

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