State BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar has issued strict directives to the party to not entertain wives, sisters-in-law and sisters of politicians in the polls
The Nationalist Congress Party which has set an ambitious target of enrolling 50 lakh members across the state, boasts it already has 10 lakh women workers in the organisation. However, when it comes to short-listing the names of the women candidates for elections to local bodies, they are unsure about their winnability.
A senior general secretary in the party said, “Frankly, we have no dearth of committed women workers. But we are unsure about how many new candidates without strong political backing will make it to victory.”
The Congress, Shiv Sena and BJP are facing a similar dilemma. However, state BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar has issued strict directives to the party to not entertain wives, sisters-in-law and sisters of politicians in the polls. Elections for the 27 zilla parishads, 14 municipal corporations and panchayats will take place between December 2011 and February 2012.
Mungantiwar maintains, “In local body elections, we have to ensure that the most deserving candidates are fielded. A political background cannot become the key parameter for the selection of women.” The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Manikrao Thakre has echoed the same sentiments.
However, a political manager in the Congress said, “In a competitive election, where individual work along with resources matter, we cannot make a promise not to field wives, sister-in-law or sisters of a politician.”
Political managers in the ruling Congress and NCP admit, “The 50% reservation was essential to enhance women’s participation in electoral politics. The women will have to rise from the panchayats to make it to the assembly and Lok Sabha gradually.”
While politicians across party lines admit women without any working knowledge of the political system are bound to rely on her family members while making decisions, they hope things will change for the better with the passage of time. Mainstream parties like Congress, NCP and the BJP which had often dismissed women cells as ornamental bodies, have decided to take them seriously.
Meetings are being conducted in the Congress and NCP, urging its leaders to empower women cells which can play a significant role in membership drives as well as building a voter base.
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