Vijayapura: During every Assembly election, the women politicians raise their voice to demand ticket to female aspirants to contest in the election.
But the complaint largely being heard from the women politicians that the political parties seldom consider their demand. Except for a couple seats, the women don’t get a deserving chance to contest in Assembly polls.
The District has been witness to deprivation of women politicians in Assembly polls where only a few female politicians got the chance to fight in the election on party ticket. Interestingly, except for Muddebihal and Basavanabagewadi Taluk voters who have voted for the women candidates in the past, no other taluk ensured the victory of female candidates in the District in Assembly polls.
In 1957 and in 1962, Sushilaben Hirachand Shah was the first woman candidate who won from Basavanabagewadi Taluk on the Congress ticket. In 1994, Vimalabai Deshumkh became the second woman candidate to win from Muddebihal Taluk on the Janata Dal ticket.
Barring these two women, no other female candidate successfully contested to become legislator and reached Vidhana Soudha.
While Sushilaben Shah remained only as MLA, Vimalabai rose to become Women and Child Welfare Minister in J. H. Patel Government between 1996 and 1999. She also served as Bagalakote District In-Charge Minister.
But in later years, she contested in 1999, 2004, 2008 on JD (S) ticket and in 2013 on KJP ticket but she never won in any election.
Another female candidate, Mangaladevi Biradar contested in four elections, from 2004 to 2018 but never won. She contested first two elections on BJP ticket and 2018 on JD (S), but none of the time she defeated her nearest rivals. After the continuous defeats, Biradar has now largely kept herself away from active politics.
From Devarahipparagi Constituency, Reshma Padeknur contested on JD (S) ticket in 2013 but she too could not taste success.
Now, for the coming Assembly election, the JD (S) has again given ticket to woman candidate, like it did in the last by-election held in Sindagi after the demise of JD (S) MLA M. C. Managuli.
While Naziya Angadi was the JD (S) candidate in by-election, Vishalakshi Patil Somajal is candidate in 2023 election. Naziya lost in the by-election and came third.
Interestingly, the JD(S) chose to offer ticket to Vishalakshi after the death of the party’s official candidate, Shivanand Patil Somajal during the campaign. He died even before the election commission announced dates for election in Karnataka. The party has decided to field the widow of Somajal hoping that it may win the seat on sympathy ground.
Meanwhile, the women who had sought ticket to contest in the coming polls are Sujata Kallimani, Samyukta Patil, Kanta Naik, Sridevi Utlaskar and Vidyarani Tungal, all from the Congress.
“It is unfortunate that the political parties still don’t feel confident in women, that is why the parties are reluctant to field women in Assembly elections. Though the policy has been made to reserve 50% seats for women and local bodies, but no reservation given in Assembly or Parliament seats. Women have been fighting for reservation in these two political avenues, but the male politicians want their dominance in assembly and parliament,” said Saraswati Chimmalagi, Writer and Activist who has been urging political parties to give adequate representation to women in politics.
