Kerala Assembly Election: No fairplay for fairer sex

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The candidates’ lists of most parties for the Assembly election betray the deep prejudices they have against fielding woman candidates, leave alone ensuring their entry into the legislature.  

As always, the Congress is far behind others in fielding women candidates in the Assembly election: it managed to field only seven women candidates while the CPM has 16 of them in the fray. BJP has fielded just five women candidates.

KPCC secretary Mariamma Cherian (Ranni), KPCC vice-president Laly Vincent (Alappuzha), Mahila Congress Palakkad district secretary C. Sangeetha (Shornur), State Women’s Commission member K. A. Thulasi (Chelakkara), KPCC general secretary Padmaja Venugopal (Thrissur), KPCC general secretary Santha Jayaram (Ottapalam) and sitting MLA P. K. Jayalakshmy (Mananthawadi) are the seven women Congress candidates.

Political observers point out that the Congress has fielded most of its women candidates in left bastions, barring Thrissur and Manathawadi. A senior women leader told DC that most of the women candidates are mere ‘sacrificial lambs’ supported by the KPCC leadership who is not keen of giving ‘sure winning’ seats.

When All-India Mahila Congress president Sobha Ojha had come down to the Thiruvananthapuram on March 8 coinciding with the World Women’s Day programme organised by the State Mahila Congress, KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran announced in the public meeting that ‘adequate’ representation for the women folks have been made but the number remained the same as it was in 2011.

Ms. Ojha, however, defended the KPCC leadership saying that women have got nine per cent representation this time. She said she would ensure more representation in the ministry if the UDF returned to power.

The LDF has fielded 17 women candidates with CPM and CPI together fielding 16 of them. CPM politburo leader Brinda Karat told DC that there has been great improvement in parting seats to women candidates this time. “Kerala has made great strides in women development but unfortunately the State still lags behind in giving seats to women candidates by majority of the political parties,” she said. “There is a huge gap, and this is of grave concern.”

LDF women candidates who are in the fray are K. K. Shylaja (Kuthuparamba) , K. K. Lathika (Kuttiadi), Rugmini Subramanian (Sulthan Bathery), Shiji Sivaji (Kunnathunad), Veena George (Aranmula), Aisha Potty (Kottarakara), J. Mercykutty Amma (Kundara), U. Prathibha Hari (Kayamkulam), T. N. Seema (Vattiyoorkavu), Mary Thomas (Vadakara), Subaida Ishak (Nenmara), K. P. Sumathi (Malappuram), C. K. Asha (Vaikkom), Geetha Gopi (Nattika), Sharada Mohan (Paravoor), E. S. Bijimol (Peermade) and Jameela Prakasam (Kovalam).
BJP has fielded its firebrand woman leader and state general secretary Sobha Surendran (Palakkad), Aniyamma Rajendran (Payyannur), V. T. Rema (Thrithala), Niveditha Subramaniyam (Guruvayur) and K. Rajeshwari Amma (Kottarakara).