Former MLA Urges BJP To Field Woman Candidate From Sagar

Ex MLA Parul Sahu is requesting the party to field a woman candidate from Sagar constituency of Madhya Pradesh while the party struggle to maintain calm due to alleged internal feud regarding nomination. Sahu is of the view that the party must up representation of women from the three women it has nominated for Lok Sabha constituencies in MP out of 29 constituencies in total. This move is important because women across parties are finally speaking out and vocally so about the lack of representation for women in the candidate list and demanding their seat at the table.

“The party has given tickets to only three women candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. I have staked my claim from Sagar where the party should promote a woman candidate in the Bundelkhand region. The Congress has fielded two women candidates in this region this time,” she told TOI.

She also met party president Amit Shah to seek candidacy from Sagar and claimed that the BJP has always promoted women in election because of their sincerity and dedication. However, other factions of the party are citing different aspects like caste equation and workers’ support. But Sahu is riding on the women empowerment wave as she added that her nomination from the LS seat would silent those questioning party’s intent of fulfilling the promises laid down in ‘Sankalp Patra’ regarding one-third women candidates in polls.

ALSO READ: 2008 Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Thakur joins BJP

From the state, BJP has fielded Sandhya Rai from Bhind, Riti Pathak from Sidhi and Himadri Singh, who joined BJP recently, has been fielded from Shahdol. There are also speculations that Sadhvi Pragya Thakur who joined the party on Wednesday will contest from Bhopal seat. But except for Sadhvi, the other female candidates of the party are allegedly facing stiff challenge from party leaders who criticised them for non-performance and being parachute candidate, which means that the candidate does not have grip of the constituency they are contesting from.

Sitting MP Laxminarayan Yadav, retired IPS officer Hari Singh Yadav, former finance minister Jayant Malaiya, Ashok Singh Bamora, Anil Tiwari, Rajbahadur Singh, Abhay Dare and Sudhir Yadav are some of the aspirants of BJP ticket from Sagar constituency apart from Sahu.

The party has given tickets to only three women candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. I have staked my claim from Sagar where the party should promote a woman candidate in the Bundelkhand region.

MP goes to poll in four phases—phase four, five, six and seven i.e. April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19 respectively.

BJP is still in the process of deciding nominees for MP constituencies but the party hasn’t done too well for women’s representation in terms of overall candidacy in Lok Sabha elections so far. The party has given tickets to only 45 women candidates out of over 350 LS constituencies, which comes to about 12% in total. It closes in with another national party which has given tickets to only 13% women candidates so far. While both the parties promise to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill to bring 33% women in parliament, it remains doubtful to see since there aren’t many women candidates to be seen within party candidates to fulfil this provision in the next decade.

Picture credit- Naidunia

More Stories by Poorvi Gupta