All India Congress Committee spokesperson Shama Mohamed on March 9 expressed disappointment that the Congress, which first brought the Women’s Reservation Bill, fielded only one woman candidate from Kerala for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls even after passing of the legislation.
Ms. Mohamed said Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi had been calling for more women representation in politics and, therefore, her “request” was that party leaders in Kerala should listen to him.
“You should give representation to women. Last time [in 2019], there were two women candidates (from Kerala). But after passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill, there is only one this time. That is my greatest disappointment,” she said.
Her statement comes a day after the Congress announced its 16 candidates from Kerala for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls with Ramya Haridas, for the Alathur constituency in Palakkad district, the only woman on the list.
Ms. Mohamed’s remarks also assume importance as Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran, moved to the BJP alleging neglect from the grand old party.
The AICC national spokesperson said she was not making a complaint, but was only requesting the party to give women more representation.
She claimed that women votes were going to other parties and to get them back, the party needed to have more women candidates.
Moreover, Mr.Gandhi had been advocating representation for women and therefore, his views should be supported by the leadership in Kerala, she said.
“Women should be given strength. They should be given representation. They should be given seats they can win from as women need to come forward. There are competent women also in the party. They should be brought forward,” she said.
Ms. Mohamed said in the last Mahila Congress programme held in Kochi, Mr. Gandhi had said that within 10 years time 50% of the Chief Minister in the country should be women.
The BJP in its initial list of 12 candidates from Kerala has two women candidates and the LDF in its complete list of 20 nominees, also has two women.
Besides representation for women, she said that minorities should also be represented from the Malabar region and merely saying there was already another party here for them was not enough.
