The Hindu : Kerala News : `Neglect of women led to UDF's defeat'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

`Neglect of women led to UDF's defeat'

Special Correspondent

KOCHI: Mahila Congress State president Shanimol Usman has said that one of the reasons for the defeat of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Assembly elections was the neglect of women in the contest.

Ms. Usman, the defeated UDF candidate in Perumbavur, told a news conference that the UDF had fielded only a very small number of women candidates and, that the seats allotted to them were not winnable.

By this neglect, the UDF had drawn women voters' ire and they voted against the UDF candidates.

She complained that despite Congress president Sonia Gandhi's instruction that women and new faces should be given priority while determining candidates, this had been ignored.

She said the UDF campaign, because of the lack of a proper organisational structure, had failed to convince the masses of the achievements of the UDF Government.

Leadership camps

The Mahila Congress would hold leadership camps in every district by end-June and the State-level camp in August, Ms. Usman said.

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