Maharashtra Assembly Polls: No increase in women candidates

Out of a total of 334 candidates, only 31 candidates are women and only 11 of them are from prominent parties

While the number of women voters has been increased over the years and the 46 per cent voters are women, there isn't any hope yet that the number of women MLA would increase in the state assembly this time. Out of a total of 334 candidates, only 31 candidates are women and only 11 of them are from prominent parties. Out of 36 constituencies, 15 constituencies do not have a single woman candidate.

There is 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies but there isn't any reservation in assembly or Lok Sabha elections. There are four sitting women MLAs which gets tickets this time, out of which three are contesting from BJP. The party has fielded 17 candidates including three women; Manisha Chaudhary (Dahisar), Bharti Lavekar (Versova) and Vidya Thakur (Goregaon). The Indian National Congress has also given the ticket to sitting MLA Varsha Gaikwad from Dharavi. Besides, the party fielded Manisha Suryawanshi from Ghatkopar East and Dr Ajanta Yadav from Kandivali East.

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While Shiv Sena is known for prominent representation of women, this time Yamini Jadhav, wife of the standing committee chairman and ex-corporator is an only candidate among 19 candidates of the party. The NCP has given one out of six candidacies to women.

Rajul Patel, a rebel from Shiv Sena is contesting the election from Versova as an independent candidate. There are other 10 independent women candidates in the fray including another rebel from Shiv Sena, Trupti Sawant who is contesting from Bandra West.

Geeta Gawali is contesting the election from her own party, Akhil Bhartiya Sena from Byculla against Yamini Jadhav. The highest number of women candidates in the single constituency is in Dharavi where three of the 11 candidates are women. 

In 1985 there were six women MLA's. In 2014, 16 women won the election including four women MLA from Mumbai.

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