UP rural polls see women win 50 per cent seats

More than 50 per cent seats in the block pramukh elections have been won by women candidates in Uttar Pradesh. According to the results announced by the state election commission (SEC), of the 793 seats of block pramukh where elections concluded on Sunday, women candidates won 399 seats. In the 385 seats where candidates won unopposed, women emerged victorious in 200. Earlier, about 44 per cent women were elected as village pradhans, with four of them being Ph.D. holders. The ruling Samajwadi Party has claimed that 80 per cent of the winning candidates belonged to the party. In the elections for the village pradhan, women had won 10.8 per cent additional seats, over and above the 33 per cent reserved for them. “This is coming-of-age era for women in politics. Though majority of the women who have won are either wives, sisters or daughters of established politicians but the day is not far when they will throw off the yoke,” said social activist Arundhati Dhuru.

It may be recalled that recently, Unnao district had made headlines for having women on most of the top posts in the district including the district magistrate, superintendent of police, chief development officer (CDO), chief medical officer (CMO), chief veterinary officer (CVO), sub-divisional magistrate (Sadar), and district probationary officer apart from as assistant RTO and a sub divisional magistrate.