Women in fray watch as their menfolk boss their campaign

PATIALA: Women candidates, many of whom are wives, sisters and sisters-in-law of local political leaders, are only silent spectators with their menfolk taking charge during the campaign in the ongoing the municipal elections.

Several women are in the fray after the number of wards reserved for female candidates in the district was increased from 15 to 30.

Most of women candidates in the fray this time are first-timers. While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is fighting the civic polls for the first time, many women candidates of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bharatiya Jan- ataParty (BJP)andthe Congress are filling seats earlier held by their family members.

Even the names of women candidates are on posters and pamphlets along with their husband’s or another known male member’s names. For instance, the name of Meenakshi Kashyap, the Congress candidate from ward 37, is mentioned with her husband Go pi Range el a on campaign posters.

Also, upon contact the phone numbers given on campaign material it was the male family members of candidates who answer.

S ur in der Kumar, the husband of SAD-BJP candidate from ward 43 Manju Bala Khandoli, said his wife was at home while he was campaign in gin her ward. She is contesting for the first time. Kumar, who is BJP’s scheduled caste (SC) morcha district president, said, “My wife is contesting as our ward is reserved for women. Otherwise, I would contested from here.”

Ramanpreet Kaur, wife of former councillor from ward 32 Ravinderpal Singh, is contesting on the SAD-BJP ticket from ward 37. Though carrying out a door-to-door campaign, she is banking on the work of her husband during his tenure.

Congress candidate and party’s district committee general secretary Kamlesh Kumari is contesting from ward 27. She had won the MC elections in 2002 and was also a member of the Patiala beautification committee at the time.