NEW DELHI, Jan 25: Unhappy with the low numbers of female candidates figuring on political party lists, women organisations have unanimously decided to back an independent woman candidate in Delhi. Ranjana Kumari, Director of Centre for Social Research, was selected as the candidate at a meeting organised by the National Committee for Women on Wednesday.``I have been selected as the consensus candidate. The logistics of the entire thing and other details are being worked out,'' said Ranjana.
The Women's Movement has asked other candidates who are standing against Ranjana, in the constituency from which she eventually contests, to withdraw their nominations or support her. ``We are putting up just one symbolic candidature and asking them to at least give us that one chance. If they don't we will fight them,'' said Ranjana.
``The National Commission has been forced to put up women candidates. We have been to every political party, asking them to give tickets to women candidates. The response has been
bad,'' said Mohini Giri, chairperson of the Commission. ``At the meeting, everyone was very frustrated by the total indifference of all political parties and the fact that they have not given women sufficient number of tickets. Everyone has the usual four per cent representation. We have decided to take on the system and put forward our own candidate,'' said Kamla Nath of the Centre for Social Research.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
