13 women MLAs in misogynist Haryana

CHANDIGARH: BJP's emphatic victory in the Haryana has helped in the achievement of another milestone. Eight women candidates fielded by the BJP were elected, bolstering the number of women MLAs to 13 – the highest in the 90-member assembly.

The achievement is no mean feat in a state with a skewed sex ratio of 879 girls to 1,000 boys, below the national average of 943, according to the 2011 census data. The imbalance has taken a toll on the state’s social fabric. Before the elections, bachelors in the state raised the slogan, ‘Bahu dilao, vote lo’ (brides for votes), reflecting the difficulty in finding brides.

This was also the demand of unmarried youth groups like the Kunwara Union and Avivahit Purush Sangthan. Haryana’s poor sex ratio is mainly due to female foeticide, which is prevalent in most districts, especially Mewat, Jind, Rohtak, Yamunanagar and Sirsa.

Practices such as 'atta-satta', where girls are bartered between two individuals, are on the rise in Yamunanagar and Mewat. The BJP's list of women winners includes Santosh Yadav (Ateli), Seema Trikha (Badkhal), Latika Sharma (Kalka), Rohita Rewari (Panipat City), Bimla Chaudhary (Pataudi), Kavita Jain (Sonipat), Santosh Chauhan Sarwan (Mulana) and Prem Lata from Uchana Kalan.