HYDERABAD: Disproving the notion that politics is for men, five young woman candidates are in it to win the GHMC elections. These women, all of them aged 21, are the youngest of the 1,122 nominees for the 150 divisions. While three of them are contesting independently, the other two are in the fray on behalf of the Congress. Thavidaboina Sowmya from Ramanthpur and TV Tapaswini Yadav from Gowtham Nagar are contesting for the Congress, whereas Perumala from Sanath Nagar, Arukala Vaishnavi from Baghamberpet, and Ameena Samreen from Nallakunta are Independents.
“The way the youth functions is different now, be it in terms of our points of view, the problems we consider important, or the kind of governance we want. I want to bring in a fresh voice to politics,” said Arukala Vaishnavi. She said she was a first-generation politician from her family.
Perumala Vyshnavi, another first-generation politico, said that despite being discouraged and made fun of her age, she was determined to put up a strong fight. “If we are considered wise enough to vote at 18, we should also be considered wise enough to contest and win a seat. The political system, wherein one has to be backed by a 40-year-old political leader to enter the fray, must change,” she said.
These women don’t follow the trend seen amongst women candidates, where a majority of them are unemployed housewives contesting “instead of their husbands”. An analysis of the occupation of the 541 women candidates shows that 312 of them are housewives — nearly 57.6 per cent. These skewed statistics have raised concerns amongst many that the women are likely to be dummy candidates, while their fathers and husbands run the show.