12 of 35 wards reserved for women,city heavyweights make most of quota Gurgaons municipal elections,scheduled for May 15,seem tipped in womens favour,reserving 12 of the 35 wards for women candidates. The men,however,have found a way to keep themselves involved. Most of the women candidates have the backing of either their husband or another male member of the family. The men,usually influential,are either social workers or members of political parties. Of the 378 candidates this year,132 are women. Rama Rani Rathee,wife of social worker R S Rathee,who is also the president of Gurgaon Citizens Council,is banking on her husbands years of experience to achieve her goal of bringing about change in the city. I have seen my husband involve himself in social work and have also discussed it with him on a number of occasions. In Gurgaon,basic issues like maintenance of parks,upkeep of streetlights and roads need urgent attention. I think the time has come to make a change, said Rathee,who holds MA and M Ed degrees. Campaign posters of most women candidates also note the men who are backing them. Kailash Yadav,who is contesting from Ward 34,has on her posters an accompanying photograph of her husband Bhag Singh Yadav. The contact number provided on the posters,too,belongs to Bhag Singh. I have been a social worker for 30 years. People in my ward know me. Since it is a womens ward,we decided to make my wife contest the polls. (My support) will help 110 per cent in the election, said Bhag Singh. Residents,meanwhile,believe the men behind the women candidates will be in control in case of a win. Women candidates who do not have any such support feel that their competitors will benefit from the experience and money of the men. I do not have backing of anybody,therefore,I am relying on my contacts and meeting people door-to-door to woo voters. But things are different for women who have support, said Amandeep Singh,a woman candidate. There are,however,women who have political experience of their own. Roshni from Ward 34 is supported by her husband Jagmohan. She is the former sarpanch of Sikandarpur,according to her relative Balwant,and her husband has been into social work for the last 15 years. The list of women candidates who are being supported by men in their families is long. Ward-33s Omkala Yadav is being backed by her husband Mahesh Yadav who is the vice-president of Congress Committee,Gurgaon city. Pavneet Gill,from Ward 34,has the support of Manish Yadav who is a member of the working committee of BJYM.
