Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge may have called the women’s reservation law a jumla (empty promise) during his recent visit to Chhattisgarh, but it seems to have prompted his party to promise a higher representation for women among its candidates to contest the upcoming Assembly election in the State.
Currently, the Congress has 13 women and 58 men among its 71 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly.
On Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister T.S. Singh Deo said that the party could field two women candidates within each of Chhattisgarh’s 11 Lok Sabha constituencies. “It’s not that only two tickets will be given; if candidates are good, then why not more than two?” Mr. Singh Deo said. This idea was floated by Kumari Selja, the All India Congress Committee’s general secretary in-charge of the State, at a closed door meeting last week, sources said.
Tricky affair
Increasing the number of women contenders, however, could be a tricky affair, as it would also mean denying tickets to many of the party’s sitting MLAs. The Congress has received 2,900 applications, with almost all sitting MLAs seeking another chance.
While the genderwise break-up of those applicants was not available, sources said that two to three names have been shortlisted against every seat except a few, such as Patan, where Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is the only shortlisted applicant.
Winnability is key
Party insiders say that winnability will be a factor even while deciding on women candidates. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) communication chief, Sushil Anand Shukla claimed that party has always encouraged the participation of women, but would not be rigid about a 33% threshold.
“It was a Congress government of undivided Madhya Pradesh (MP) under Digivijaya Singh that started giving 50% reservation to women in local bodies, something that happened for the first time in the country and continues both in Chhattisgarh and MP,” Mr. Shukla said.
Caste census demand
In a political landscape dominated by tribals and other backward classes, the party has stirred the pot with its fresh demand for a caste-based census.
“Why is the BJP so sacred of a caste census?” asked Vandana Rajput, a party spokesperson and a ticket hopeful. She also questioned the delay in the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the new Constitutional amendment to enable the reservation of 33% seats for women. “If the intentions of the Central government were right, then it would have been implemented in the upcoming five Assembly elections,” she added.
Delayed candidates list
Posturing aside, party sources admit that the new debate around the women’s reservation law has prompted party strategists to fine tune their strategy, and to also consider the possibility of a rebellion by sitting MLAs. Though it had promised to announce its list of candidates by the first week of September, the Congress is yet to do so.
The BJP, that came out with its first list more than a month ago, cited the delay as a sign of nervousness in the Congress camp.
Rubbishing such claims, Congress leaders say that the Bhupesh Baghel-led government is building a pro-incumbency narrative in Chhattisgarh through a slew of welfare schemes. On October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the party plans to hold a bharosa ki yatra (journey of trust) as campaign fever picks up.
