E-Paper
Haryana verdict: Women count goes up in state assembly
As many as 13 women candidates have secured victory in the Haryana assembly polls and their tally in the state assembly has reached 100 as the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared the results for the 15th assembly polls.
As many as 13 women candidates have secured victory in the Haryana assembly polls and their tally in the state assembly has reached 100 as the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared the results for the 15th assembly polls. After Haryana was carved out of Punjab on November 1, 1966, in the last 14 assembly elections, just 87 women have become lawmakers in the state and this time 13 women secured victory taking their tally in the state assembly to 100.
Seven women, Manju Choudhary (Nangal Chaudhry); Shalley Chaudhary (Naraingarh); Renu Bala (Sadhaura-SC); Vinesh Phogat (Julana); Shakuntla Khatak (Kalanaur-SC); Geeta Bhukkal (Jhajjar-SC) and Pooja Chaudhary (Mulana-SC) have secured victory on the Congress’ ticket. Five women, Shakti Rani Sharma (Kalka), Shruti Choudhry (Tosham); Bimla Chaudhary (Pataudi-SC); Krishna Gahlawat (Rai) and Kumari Arti Singh Rao (Ateli), tasted victory on BJP’s ticket and India’s richest woman, Savitri Jindal, secured victory as an Independent candidate from the Hisar assembly constituency, winning by a margin of 18,941 votes. She defeated BJP’s Kamal Gupta and Congress candidate Ram Niwas Rara.
Former education minister Geeta Bhukkal has created a record by winning five consecutive assembly polls and she is the first woman from the state to achieve this feat. Her colleague Shakuntla Khatak has won four consecutive elections from Kalanaur seat in Rohtak. Shalley Chaudhary (Naraingarh) and Renu Bala (Sadhaura-SC) were re-elected, and both are close confidantes of Sirsa MP Kumari Selja. Former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal’s grand-daughter Shruti, daughter of Rajya Sabha MP Kiran Choudhry, is the first-time lawmaker, Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh’s daughter Arti Rao won her first election from Ateli and Ambala MP Varun Chaudhary’s wife Pooja Chaudhary retained the Mulana seat in Ambala, which was represented by her husband in the 14th Vidhan Sabha. Shakti Rani Sharma is the wife of former minister Venod Sharma, and her son Kartikeya Sharma is Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana. Nangal Chaudhry MLA Manju is the wife of former MLA and Gujjar leader Mula Ram, who unsuccessfully contested the 2019 assembly polls on JJP’s ticket.
The principal opposition party, Congress, has given tickets to 12 women candidates, followed by the ruling BJP, which has fielded 10 women nominees.
In 2000, only four women were elected to the assembly, but a record 12 women became legislators in 2005, and all were from Congress when Bhupinder Singh Hooda became the chief minister. Women’s representation in the House was nine in 2009 (Congress had retained power) and reached 13, the previous highest, which is equalled this time, in 2014 as the BJP assumed power for the first time in the state. However, the number of women MLAs dipped to nine in 2019.
