ROURKELA: WILL the historic women’s reservation legislation change the political parties’ outlook in Sundargarh district?
The Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency, reserved for scheduled tribes (ST), was represented twice by a woman in its entire history. Only three women have been elected as MLAs from two Assembly constituencies (ACs), while the remaining five ACs have never elected a woman representative.
Opinions are divided on the reasons behind this abysmally low representation of women. Some attribute it to political parties’ failure to provide a proper platform and support to groom women representatives, while others point to the scarcity of leaders in the competitive political scene.
In the 2019 general elections, the ruling BJD stood out as an exception, fielding Sunita Biswal, daughter of former chief minister Hemanand Biswal, from the Sundargarh LS seat. However, she lost to BJP stalwart Jual Oram by a significant margin. However, the BJD did not nominate any woman candidate in the seven ACs, while BJP’s lone woman candidate Kusum Tete emerged victorious from Sundargarh AC.
Amita Biswal, the Congress’ woman nominee and Biswal’s second daughter, forfeited her security deposit. Tete’s success was attributed not to a change of heart within the BJP but to her strong appeal among voters and formidable campaigning skills.
Prior to Tete’s victory, the Sundargarh AC had been represented by a woman once in 2005 when Sushma Patel won a by-poll. Frida Topno, an exceptional woman leader, won the RN Pali AC in 1985 before clinching victory in the Sundargarh LS constituency in 1991 and 1996. However, despite her initial success, she faced defeat in 1998 and subsequently transitioned to become a Rajya Sabha member of Congress.
Reflecting on the challenges faced by women leaders in Sundargarh, Tete acknowledges the scarcity of leaders but also emphasises the importance of proper support from political parties. Women leaders must assert themselves and carve out their own paths to success, emphasising the competitive nature of politics where space is not willingly conceded, she says.
While efforts have been made by various parties to nominate women candidates, many have struggled due to financial constraints and being fielded from weaker electoral constituencies, according to a senior female BJP leader.