The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : 13 women contest but only 3 make it to LS

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

13 women contest but only 3 make it to LS

HYDERABAD, MAY 13. Three women have made it to the portals of Parliament from the State as against four who were elected to the 13th Lok Sabha in 1999 elections.

Incidentally all the three are from the Congress who won against male contestants from rival parties. The TDP, which could win in only five Lok Sabha seats, could not send any woman to Parliament this time. The TDP was represented by Dumpa Mary Vijayakumari (Bhadrachalam), Suguna Kumari (Peddapalli) and P. Rajeswaramma (Nellore) in the last Lok Sabha. While Renuka Chowdhary of the Congress was elected for the second consecutive term from Khammam, Daggupati Purandareswari, the eldest daughter of TDP founder, N.T. Rama Rao, made her debut from Bapatla as the Congress candidate defeating D. Ramanaidu of TDP. Panabaka Lakshmi of Congress won for a third time from Nellore (SC) constituency. She had earlier won in 1996 and 1998 general elections. As many as 13 women were in the fray for Lok Sabha elections during this round of general election.

While the Congress fielded K. Krupa Rani from Srikakulam, Renuka Chowdhary from Khammam, D. Purandareswari from Bapatla, P. Lakshmi from Nellore, Botsa Jhansi from Bobbili, the TDP fielded Phaniswaramma from Bhadrachalam (ST), Suguna Kumari from Peddapalli, B.P.Vijaya Bharathi from Ongole, Sobha Nagireddy from Nandyal. The BSP gave tickets to G. Shobharani from Hyderabad, Paladugu Gowramma from Siddipet and Humera Aziz was the MIM candidate for Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat, Varsha Dhawan contested on behalf of Pyramid Party of India.

The three women represent a mere seven per cent of 42 seats in the State.

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Andhra Pradesh