Battleground Tamil Nadu: 327 women in fray, but how many will win?

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa, academic Vasanthi Devi and former IAS officer P Sivagami are among the 327 women candidates in the fray -highest since the first 1951 election.

Compared to the 2011 state polls, the number of women candidates has more than doubled this time. But the main parties have fielded less than a fifth of these candidates, with the result that the 14th Assembly may see only up to 10% representation for women.

Overall, 3,801 candidates, including two transgenders, are in the fray in TN. The average per constituency works out to some 16 candidates, highest among all states going to the polls.

The previous high was in 1991 when 226 women contested and 10 were elected. Among recognised parties, the AIADMK has fielded 31 candidates followed by the DMK with 19. Smaller parties have allocated two to three seats to women. The rest of the women are Independents.

Gangavalli in Salem district has most women candi dates -15. This is followed by Anna Nagar with 13 women candidates and R K Nagar comes third with 12, including Jayalalithaa. “There is no field where women aren't employed or they themselves are employ ers. Only in elections their numbers are less,“ three-time ECPM MLA K BalabL harathi said. In local bodies, women hold positions but parties don't allow them to transition to state elections, she said. The DMK has given tickets to former ministers, in AIADMK, ministers Gokula Indira and B Valarmathi are fighting. In CPM, U Vasuki is contesting in Madurai West.

“Many women are interested in contesting. But no party is ready to given them space.Women's representation from minority communities is even less,“ said Madras HC advocate A B Fathima Sulthana.

Among the districts, Chennai has 16 seats where 72 women are contesting, followed by Salem with 66 women in 11 constituencies. Niligiris with three seats has two women candidates among all 32 districts. In Chennai, Velachery is the only seat that doesn't have women candidates.