This story is from November 3, 2020

Bihar assembly polls: Barely 10% of candidates are women across all 3 phases

This time, Bihar assembly election has seen the participation of 370 women out of 3,733 candidates contesting across all three phases. Most of are independents or locally registered political outfits.
Bihar assembly polls: Barely 10% of candidates are women across all 3 phases
Ace shooter and gold medalist Shreyasi Singh (L), Pushpam Priya Choudhary
PATNA: This time, Bihar assembly election has seen the participation of 370 women out of 3,733 candidates contesting across all three phases. Most of are independents or locally registered political outfits.
In the first phase, there were 114 women candidates in the fray and the leading parties fielded 36 candidates, which included 10 from RJD, LJP (8), five each from BJP and JD(U), RLSP (4), BSP (2) and one each from Congress, NCP.
At least 44 candidates were independent while 34 from other local parties.
Prominent women candidates in the first phase included ace shooter and gold medalist Shreyasi Singh, who is contesting on a BJP ticket from Jamui, RJD’s Divya Prakash and Vibha Devi from Tarapur in Munger and Nawada respectively, Manorma Devi of JD(U) from Atri in Gaya, Nawada’s Gobindpur candidate Purnima Yadav also from JD(U), BJP’s Aruna Devi from Warsaliganj in Nawada.
Of the 1,463 candidates in the second phase, 146 of them are women, including Pushpam Priya Choudhary, who floated the Plurals Party and declared herself as a CM candidate. She is contesting from Bankipur constituency in Patna. On her campaign trails, she has bucked the trend of women candidates wearing traditional dresses by wearing a black shirt, pant and shoes.
Other prominent and young faces are Sushumalata Kushwaha, who is contesting on a JD(U) ticket from Jagdishpur in Bhojpur. She was seen campaigning only a few days after she delivered a baby girl. She had earned a reputation in her area after she developed a panchayat into a model one.
JD(U) has fielded maximum 9 women candidates in the second phase, while seven are from LJP, RJD (4), RLSP (3), two each from BSP, BJP, Congress, NCP and 70 from other political outfits and 45 contesting as Independent. RJD’s Ejya Yadav is an academician and well- known social worker Amita Bhushan is from Congress.

In the third phase, as many as 110 women candidates are in the fray out of 1,204 candidates contesting the election. Some of the prominent candidates are former Vaishali MP Lovely Anand, who joined RJD and is contesting from Saharsa, JD(U)’s Bima Bharti, Veena Bharti, Nutan Paswan and Leshi Singh, LJP’s Urmila Sinha and BJP’s Kavita Devi and Nisha Singh.
At least 499 candidates, including women, have declared their educational qualification to be between Class V and XII while 552 have declared having an educational qualification of graduate or above and 126 candidates are literate. Five candidates are illiterate and 12 candidates are diploma holders.
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About the Author
Faryal Rumi

She is working with the Times of India as a Senior Digital Content Creator on the Patna desk.

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