Sops galore but parties stingy in giving tickets to women

CHANDIGARH : A monthly allowance ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000, digital tablets and electric scooters for college-going girls, self-defence training, eight free LPG cylinders every year for homemakers, interest-free loans, 50% reservation in all government jobs, and what not. The list of freebies and sops promised by political parties competing with each other to woo women voters, who constitute almost 48% of the 2.12 crore electorate in Punjab, seems never-ending even before they have formally laid out their election manifestos. But their commitment to women’s empowerment seems to stop short of giving election tickets to them.

Be it the Congress, whose leaders announced to reserve 40% tickets for women in Uttar Pradesh, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), all parties have given short shrift to women, naming only a minuscule number of candidates from among them for the 117 assembly constituencies in the state. The ruling Congress, which is hoping to retain power, has given tickets to only 11 women, which constitutes just 9.4%, in Punjab.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had in October last year, announced to give 40% of the party tickets to women in UP which is among the five states going to polls in February-March, stating that the party units in other states, including Punjab, were welcome to implement the formula. The Congress unit in Punjab, however, did not walk the talk of its top leadership. Among the 11 candidates are former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and cabinet ministers Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana with years of political experience.

Bhattal is contesting her eighth successive election from Lehra, whereas Chaudhary and Sultana are three-time MLAs and have been fielded from their Dinanagar (reserved) and Malerkotla seats. Karan Kaur Brar, daughter-in-law of former chief minister Harcharan Singh Brar, has been fielded from Muktsar, which she won in 2012. Sitting MLAs Rupinder Ruby, who defected from the AAP two months ago, and Indu Bala are in the fray from Malout (reserved) and Mukerian. The remaining candidates include actor Sonu Sood’s sister Malvika Sood from Mo ga, school teacher turned-politician Rajinder Kaur from Balluana (reserved), Ranveer Kaur Mian from Budhlada (reserved), Manoj Bala Bansal from Maur and Harchand Kaur from Mehal Kalan (SC).

12 women on AAP list

The AAP, the principal opposition party in Punjab and a key challenger this time too, also has 12 women in its line-up, including two sitting legislators Saravjit Manuke and Baljinder Kaur. Manuke, who was deputy leader of the AAP legislature party, and Kaur are again contesting from their Jagraon (reserved) and Talwandi Sabo seats.

The fresh faces include Jeevanjot Kaur from Amritsar East, Narinder Kaur Bharaj from Sangrur, singer Anmol Gagan Mann from Kharar, Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora from Moga and Dr Baljit Kaur from Malout (reserved).

SAD-BSP fields 5 women candidates

The other players, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance, have also paid lip service to women’s issues. The SAD is contesting 97 seats, but has given tickets to only four women candidates. Jagir Kaur, who also remained the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), has been fielded from the Bholath assembly segment, which she won in 1997, 2002 and 2012. Varinder Kaur Loomba, who won from Shutrana (reserved) in 2012, is again contesting from there. Sunita Chaudhary from Balachaur and Jasdeep Kaur from Khanna are the other two candidates. SAD’s ally, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has only one woman, Dalbir Kaur from Amritsar Central, in its list of 20.

BJP reposes faith on 5 women candidates

Similarly, the BJP, which is contesting 65 seats, has only five such candidates, and four of these are in reserved constituencies. They are ex-MLA Seema Kumari from Bhoa, Renu Kashyap from Dinanagar, Balwinder Kaur from Attari and Vandana Sangwan from Balluana. Nimisha Mehta, who jumped ship to the BJP after being denied ticket by the Congress, has joined the race from Garhshankar. Its alliance partners, former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD (Sanyukt), have done no better. At this rate, equal opportunities for women seem like a distant dream.