Few women get party tickets for LS polls in Tamil Nadu

All political parties in Tamil Nadu swear to work for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures, but when it comes to the question of giving tickets, they do not practice what they preach.

All political parties in Tamil Nadu swear to work for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures, but when it comes to the question of giving tickets, they do not practice what they preach.

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Tamil Nadu has a woman Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, heading a dominant political party in the state - the AIADMK.

The party's manifesto promises to work for reservation for women in every sphere, including in state legislatures and Parliament. The party was the first to amend its constitution to provide reservation for women in the party posts, right from village to district level.

But in its list of 33 candidates, only two women find a place - Bader Syed, who will take on former Union Minister T R Baalu at South Chennai and Rajalakshmi Rajan from Wandavasi.

The DMK, which promises reservation for women in assembly and Parliament, has chosen only three women as candidates out of 15. Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan is the party's nominee for Tiruchengode seat and Bhavani Rajendran is contesting from Ramanathapuram. Radhikaselvi, widow of Venkatesa Panniyar, killed in a police encounter here recently, is making her electoral debut from Tiruchendur.

The DMK had also amended its constitution to provide for reservation of party posts for women and Dalits from village to headquarter level in the party set up.