Jharkhand Elections: Women’s representation in poll fray

Mail News Service

Ranchi, Nov 18: In the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections, women are challenging norms by contesting in 54 out of the 81 assembly seats, accounting for 66% of the total seats. However, their overall presence remains low compared to men, with 128 women contesting against 879 men, as revealed by nomination paper scrutiny. Women candidates represent just 10.56% of the total 1211 candidates in the state, showing a disparity that underscores the need for stronger gender representation in Indian politics.

Nari Shakti Vandan Act and future reservations:

The Nari Shakti Vandan Act-2023, which has been approved by both houses of Parliament, seeks to bridge this gap by reserving one-third of Lok Sabha and state assembly seats for women on a rotational basis. However, its implementation hinges on the completion of the next census and subsequent seat delimitation. This measure, expected to come into effect by the next election cycle, promises a significant shift toward gender equality in political representation in Jharkhand and across India.

National parties lead in women representation:

While national political parties are leading in female representation, local and regional parties have also taken steps to increase women’s participation. National parties have allocated 15.62% of their seats to women, making them the highest in promoting female representation. Recognized state-level parties from Jharkhand are close behind, giving women 15% of their seats, while state-level parties from other regions have fielded only 6.57% women. Registered but unrecognized parties have slightly better figures, with 8.95% of their candidates being women. Independent candidates, while numerous, also show limited female representation, with 10.15% of their candidates being women.

AJSU tops the chart in women participation :

Among individual parties, the AJSU Party has shown a commitment to inclusivity by nominating three women out of its ten candidates, or 30%, positioning it as the leading party in women’s representation. The Indian National Congress follows with 23.33% of its tickets going to women, while the BJP has nominated 17.64% female candidates. Other major parties, such as JMM and RJD, have fielded 11.62% and 14.28% women candidates, respectively.

29 women independents compete across phases:

Examining the candidate breakdown across party lines, recognized national parties have fielded a total of 160 candidates, including 25 women. State-recognized parties of Jharkhand have nominated 60 candidates, out of which nine are women. State-level parties from other states have fielded a total of 76 candidates, including only five women. Unrecognized political parties have put forth 324 candidates, among them 29 women and one transgender candidate. Additionally, 591 independent candidates are participating, comprising 530 men, 60 women, and one transgender candidate.

As Jharkhand moves forward in this election, the contrast between female participation and overall representation reflects both the progress and the continuing challenges for women in politics.