Fairer sex gets unfair deal in Kerala

Major political parties have nominated only six women to contest the May 10 Lok Sabha elections from Kerala even though women outnumber men in all the 20 Parliamentary constituencies in the state.

Major political parties have nominated only six women to contest the May 10 Lok Sabha elections from Kerala even though women outnumber men in all the 20 Parliamentary constituencies in the state.

Despite the tall claims of the need to give 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, all political parties, irrespective of hues, have meted out an unfair deal to the fairer sex, political observers say.

Congress-led ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) has nominated three women - former state Fisheries Minister M T Padma from Vatakara, Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of senior Congress leader K Karunakaran, making her electoral debut from Mukundapuram, and K A Thulasi (Ottappalam-SC).

Padma had unsuccessfuly contested from Palakaad in the 1999 election.

The Opposition Democratic Front (LDF), headed by CPI(M), has also put up two candidates P Sathidevi (Vatakara) and C S Sujata (Mavelikkara), while BJP has nominated a lone woman, Uma Unni (Manjeri).

Janu, the fiery tribal activist and leader of the Adivasi Gotra Mahasabha, who spearheaded the Muthunga agitation seeking lands for the tribals, has jumped into the fray from the hilly and spice-rich district of Idukki. She had floated Rashtriya Mahasabha, a political outfit, a few months ago.

The names of AICC member Simi Rosabel John and Mahila Congress President Shanimol Usman were mentioned when the party candidates list was being finalised. But the two failed to make it.

In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, CPI(M), Congress and BJP fielded only one woman candidate each. CPI(M)'s A K Premajam, who was re-elected, was the only one to emerge successful out of the 13 women contestants. She has not been given a ticket this time by her party.

While the Congress had fielded M T Padma from Palakaad in 1999, BJP had given ticket to Advocate T D Rajalakshmi from Erankulam, BSP nominated N K Meenakshi Amma from Adoor (SC) and Janata Dal (U) Prof Jayalakshmi from Kollam. Except Padma, all the other losers had to forfeit their deposits.

Comparatively, in the 1998 Lok Sabha election, totally 10 women candidates had contested of which three were from Left front -- CPI(M)'s A K Premajam (vatakara), Minu Mumtaz of CPI (Ponani), Advocate C S Sujata of CPI(M) (Alapuzha). Congress had fieled only one candidate -- Prof K K Vijalakshmi from Ottapalam (SC), while BJP had put up four candidates-- Prof Sumathi Haridas (Manjeri), Ahiliya Shankar (Ponnani), T L Radhamma (Alapuzha) and Rachel Mathai (Kollam). Only A K Premajam emerged victorious.

In 1996, when elections were held simultaneously to the state assembly and Lok Sabha, none of the 10 women who contested for Parliament could make it, while of the 55 women in the fray for the assembly membership, 13 had won.

Congress had then nominated B Vijayalakshmi from Ottapalam and the Janta Dal Prof R Jayalakshmi from the Kottayam Parliamentary constituency. Neena Pillai, widow of biscuit tycoon Rajan Pillai, had contested as an independent candidate from Kollam.

Despite women outnumbering men in Kerala, only five women have represented the state in the lower house so far. They are -- Anne Mascrene, former state industries minister, Susheela Gopalan, Bhargavi Thankappan, Savithri Lakshmanan and A K Premajam.

According to the latest official figures, of the total 2,07,18,283 voters in Kerala, 1,07,69,884 are women and 99,48,399 are male.