Source:

Author:

Date:

07.02.2017

City:

New Delhi

Even as competing political parties have deputed “star” women campaigners like Priyanka Gandhi, Dimple Yadav and Smriti Irani of the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the BJP respectively in Uttar Pradesh, only around 8 per cent women candidates out of total 836 contestants will try their luck in the first phase of voting on February 11 which will cover 73 constituencies spread over 15 districts in Western UP. A report by Association of Democratic Reforms has revealed this figure. During this phase, over 2.57 crore voters, including around 1.17 crore women, will exercise their franchise. According to the report, the number of male candidates in the fray are 766 whereas female numbers stand at 70.

With these numbers, a whopping 91.6 per cent candidates are male while a dismal 8.4 per cent are women candidates, according to the report.

In 2012, SP had sent the highest number of women legislators to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, according to an IANS report. Twenty-two women candidates from the SP had won then. A total of 582 woman were in the fray in these assembly polls, and a total 37 women have been elected compared. BJP had come a distant second with seven women candidate wins, the Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party with three each are in the third slot. A woman candidate had made it from the Apna Dal while Rubi Prasad, the legislator from Duddhi, had opened the account for independent women candidates.

Only 8% women candidates for Uttar Pradesh Phase 1 polls: Why parties even need star campaigners like Priyanka, Dimple and Smriti

According to the report, the number of male candidates in the fray are 766 whereas female numbers stand at 70.

Even as competing political parties have deputed “star” women campaigners like Priyanka Gandhi, Dimple Yadav and Smriti Irani of the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the BJP respectively in Uttar Pradesh, only around 8 per cent women candidates out of total 836 contestants will try their luck in the first phase of voting on February 11 which will cover 73 constituencies spread over 15 districts in Western UP. A report by Association of Democratic Reforms has revealed this figure. During this phase, over 2.57 crore voters, including around 1.17 crore women, will exercise their franchise. According to the report, the number of male candidates in the fray are 766 whereas female numbers stand at 70.

With these numbers, a whopping 91.6 per cent candidates are male while a dismal 8.4 per cent are women candidates, according to the report.

In 2012, SP had sent the highest number of women legislators to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, according to an IANS report. Twenty-two women candidates from the SP had won then. A total of 582 woman were in the fray in these assembly polls, and a total 37 women have been elected compared. BJP had come a distant second with seven women candidate wins, the Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party with three each are in the third slot. A woman candidate had made it from the Apna Dal while Rubi Prasad, the legislator from Duddhi, had opened the account for independent women candidates.

The most prominent faces in the woman’s brigade were that of Uma Bharti of the BJP and Rita Bahuguna Joshi of the Congress. Bharti won from Charkhari constituency by a margin of over 25,000 votes. Joshi, the state Congress chief, won from Lucknow Cantt by 22,000 votes. Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal has defeated BSP’s Ramakant Singh in Rohaniya assembly segment of Varanasi.

In the 2007 polls, in all 23 women candidates had made it to the assembly, but only four of them were from the SP.

The Sex Ratio in Uttar Pradesh is 912/1000 men, according to 2011 census. Uttar Pradesh goes to polls in seven phases between February 11 and March 8.

Notably, the authorities in Muzaffarnagar district have established 574 polling booths meant for casting of votes by women only in the polls starting from February 11. According to District Magistrate D K Singh, these booths have put up in six Assembly constituencies in the district. The Muzaffarnagar constituency will have 165, while Budhana will have 123. 83 of these booths are in Charthawal, 90 in Purkazi, 65 in khatoli and 57 in Miranpur constituencies in the district, Singh said. He said that more than 19.12 lakh women voters would use this facility.