No woman candidate has ever won an election in Jamshedpur East

Shankar Agrawal

Jamshedpur, October 26:  Since the formation of Jharkhand, no woman candidate has ever won the Jamshedpur East constituency, a seat historically dominated by male candidates in past assembly elections. However, the upcoming 2024 election may change this trend, as Purnima Das, daughter-in-law of former Jharkhand Chief Minister and long-time MLA Raghubar Das, is contesting as the BJP candidate. If she succeeds, Purnima will become the first woman to secure this seat, making a significant mark in the constituency’s history.

In the past four elections, several women from different parties attempted to challenge the status quo but failed to gain the necessary public support. Notable figures include Alpana Das from the Jharkhand People’s Party, who received just 908 votes (0.7%) in 2005. Other female contenders that year included Shashi Thakur, an independent candidate, who managed only 453 votes (0.2%).

The 2009 election saw Alpana Das contesting again, this time under the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Democratic) banner, but she garnered only 328 votes (0.3%). Independent candidate Madhulika Mehta secured 603 votes (0.5%). Despite these attempts, Raghubar Das maintained his hold on the constituency with 56,165 votes (50.3%) for BJP.

In 2014, Alpana Bose from the Rashtriya Jandhikar Suraksha Party earned 684 votes (0.4%), while Kamaljeet Kaur Gill from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) did slightly better with 3,987 votes (2.41%). Another candidate, Pushpa Boypai of the Amra Bengali party, received 209 votes (0.1%). Yet again, Raghubar Das emerged victorious, securing a strong lead with 1,03,427 votes (61.5%).

The 2019 elections saw a major contest between Raghubar Das and independent candidate Saryu Roy. While Das received 58,112 votes (33.7%) on a BJP ticket, Roy emerged as the winner with 73,945 votes (42.9%).

With Purnima Das running on a BJP ticket in 2024, all eyes are on the Jamshedpur East constituency. Her success could signal a new era for female representation in this traditionally male-dominated seat. Voters now face a pivotal decision: whether to continue with male leadership or elect their first woman representative, challenging the long-standing norm.

Eight parties award only 25 tickets to women candidates

Shankar Agrawal

Jamshedpur, October 26: In Jharkhand’s upcoming assembly elections, women have received only 25 out of 157 candidate slots from the state’s eight major political parties, representing just 16% of total tickets. This low representation comes despite recent legislation for a 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha, set to be implemented from 2029. Hopes that parties would use this election as a trial for greater female participation have not materialized, with most tickets allocated to women from political families.

As Jharkhand’s political landscape continues to sway towards female voters—women outnumber men in 31 constituencies—parties have introduced various schemes to appeal to them. The Maiyan Samman Yojana and the BJP’s Gogo-Didi scheme offer financial incentives, as does Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s Rs. 2500 monthly support plan. Yet, when it comes to granting candidacies, women’s representation remains limited, with many of these 25 women being closely related to male politicians.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and India Block parties awarded tickets to women as follows: BJP, 10; JMM, 4; Congress, 6; and AJSU, 2. While this reflects an increase over previous years, female candidates remain a minority. Political experts argue that higher women’s participation could strengthen democracy and reduce corruption, adding that most women running for office hail from political families, potentially sidelining grassroots candidates.

Vasavi Kido, former member of the Jharkhand Women’s Commission, stated, “Women deserve equal representation. They tend to be less corrupt, and their growing participation will reinforce democracy. We must also consider those women who advocate for change on the streets but remain politically marginalized.”