Women reservation: Three women candidates in Karnataka Lok Sabha polls this time

BENGALURU: The proposed 33% reservation for women was first mooted in Parliament in 1996. However, two decades and five elections later, and the bill — which proposed to reserve for women 33% of all seats in the Lok Sabha and in all state legislative assemblies — has apparently faded from the consciousness of political parties in Karnataka and, with it, all intent to provide equitable representation for women in government.
Now that the three main parties in the state — the BJP, JD(S) and Congress — have released their lists of candidates it has become clear that the political field will continue to be male dominated again in 2019.
The parties have indeed given ‘equal representation’ to women, albeit only in that each has named a single woman candidate for the general election.
While the BJP has fielded incumbent Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje from the same constituency, the Congress has named greenhorn Veena Kashappanavar from Bagalkot and the JD(S) Sunitha Chavan from Vijayapura constituency.
The fourth prominent woman, Sumalatha Ambareesh, is supported by the BJP but will contest as an independent from Mandya.
The best performance from Karnataka so far was in the last general election, when 11 of the 21 women contesting polls were from national parties and the JD(S).
The saffron outfit has also found itself in a precarious position by denying a ticket to late Union minister HN Ananth Kumar’s wife Tejaswini. Over the past 19 years, the BJP has not covered itself in glory as far as providing gender parity in disbursal of tickets goes, with an average of only two tickets to women per Lok Sabha election.
While parties claim that winnability is the supreme criterion during an election, women contenders believe that there is no dearth of winners among them.
Speaking to TOI prior to being denied a ticket, Tejaswini clearly had no idea what was in store for her. A party loyalist, Tejaswini had exuded confidence that the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi would give prominence to women in selection of candidates for this election and also push for 33% reservation for women in Parliament.
“If I am elected, I too will try to influence policymakers to pass the bill,” she said. “Winnability is just an excuse that has been hurting women contenders. I would say change is needed in our society and political class. I am certain that this change will come about, slowly but surely.”