NEW DELHI: Women candidates of AAP rode the victory wagon in the MCD election bagging two extra seats in comparison to their male counterparts, SEC data showed. A total of 69 of the 134 winners were women, who will take over 51.4 per cent of the total seats won by the party.
Besides, the data also showed that most women who won from any party also remained from the AAP. It had fielded 136 female candidates fielded in the election at par with the BJP which also fielded equal candidates (136).
However, since the saffron party came in second in the election, only 49 women candidates scored victories. The percentage of winning women candidates against those fielded by the party was calculated at 36 per cent, the election results showed.
The ratio of candidates (women) fielded against won remained abysmal in the Congress. The party had 132 female candidates. Its near-decimation performance shows that only 3.7 per cent of female candidates won when compared to Congress.
When comparing gender-based winners in the overall seats won by Congress, women candidates accounted for over 55 per cent of the seats won by the party. Congress, which has now been reduced to a single-digit number, has won with only nine seats.
The Congress’s Shagufta Chaudhary romped home with a margin of 15,193 votes, the second highest in the civic body polls. AAP’s Chitra Vidyarthi, who won from Wazirpur, said, “Women candidates have done wonders this time. I’m very happy that I’m getting an opportunity to serve the people in my ward. AAP is a party that works for the development and we will focus on the same after assuming office.”
In the 2017 polls, some candidates of the BSP, INLD and SP won, alongside four Independents. The number of councillors who were not affiliated with the BJP, AAP or Congress was 11. This time, not a single ward has gone to parties that are small players in Delhi and only three Independent candidates have won, signalling a bipolar contest in the city in the future.