Nine women to battle it out in Jajpur Lok Sabha seat

As many as nine women candidates are in fray for the seven Assembly segments and lone Parliamentary constituency of Jajpur district, which will go to polls in the fourth phase on April 29. 

JAJPUR: As many as nine women candidates are in fray for the seven Assembly segments and lone Parliamentary constituency of Jajpur district, which will go to polls in the fourth phase on April 29. 

While six of them are contesting from the Assembly segments, three are trying their luck in the Parliamentary constituency. The BJD has fielded the highest three women candidates and the Congress has nominated two. The BJP has fielded only one woman candidate for the ensuing polls. Similarly, BSP, SUCI and Proutist Block, India (PBI) have fielded one woman candidate each in two Assembly constituencies and the Lok Sabha seat.

The BJD has fielded Pramila Mallik and Sunanda Das in Binjharpur and Bari Assembly seats respectively. Sarmista Sethy of the party is in fray for the reserved Jajpur Parliamentary constituency. Similarly, the Congress has fielded Bandita Parida for Korei Assembly seat. 

The party has also fielded Smrutirekha Pahi in Dharmasala Assembly segment. BJP’s lone woman candidate Babita Malik is trying her luck in Binjharpur Assembly seat this time. Similarly, Rasmita Jena of BSP and Madhusmita Sahu of SUCI are seeking their fate in Binjharpur and Dharmasala Assembly seats respectively.

PBI party has fielded Tilotama Sethy for the Jajpur Parliamentary constituency.  Seven out of the nine women candidates are first-timers. 

While the highest three women candidates are contesting from Binjharpur Assembly constituency, Korei Assembly has just one woman contestant. However, there are no women candidates in Sukinda, Barachana and Jajpur Assembly seats this time.

The BSP has fielded a transgender as its candidate for Korei Assembly seat. A total of 61 candidates are in the fray for seven Assembly segments and one Parliamentary seat in the district of whom only 15 percent are women. A total of 69 candidates had contested the General Elections in 2014 of which only four were women. Two of them-Pramila Mallik from Binjharpur Assembly seat and Rita Tarei from Jajpur Lok Sabha segment.

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