Karnataka Elections: Less Than 1 Percent Contestants are Women

Out of the total 2,655 candidates contesting for 224 assembly seats in Karnataka, a mere 219 are women. This is less than 1 percent -- precisely 0.08 percent. On the other hand, of the 4.9 crore voters in the state, about 2.44 crore or 49 percent of the population are women. These contrasting ratios reveal the dire situation of male-dominated political scenario in the poll-bound state. Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 and the results will be out on May 15.

The three major political parties – Congress, BJP and JD(S) have hardly given tickets to female candidates, despite their tall claims around women empowerment. While the ruling Congress party has nominated only 16 female candidates, BJP and JD(S) have nominated only 17 and 14 female candidates respectively. Of the total 1,155 independent candidates contesting these elections, 90 are women.

While BJP is contesting in 224 (all) constituencies, Congress has 222 contestants (the party will back Darshan Puttanaiah, Swaraj India Party candidate for Melkotes constituency and nomination of one candidate has been rejected for submitting fake caste certificate), JD(S) has fielded 201 candidates and its ally BSP is contesting in 18 constituencies.

All India Mahila Empowerment Party, a recently formed party has fielded 224 candidates for the coming elections. Ironically, only 40 of them are women. The party was founded in November 2017 by Businesswoman Nowhera Shaik, CEO of Heera group of companies.

In the 2013 assembly elections, while 175 women contested, only six won – three from Congress, two from BJP and one from JD(S), leaving no place for the independent candidates. Over years, the number of female MLAs has come down remarkably in the state. The assembly formed in 1962 had the highest representation of women with twelve women MLAs. On the other side, of the total 28 MPs from the state, BJP’s Shobha Karandlaje is the sole woman MP, from Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency.

While all these figures on the representation of women reveal an appalling state of affairs in Karnataka, the phenomenon is nothing different across the country. According to a study conducted by Inter-Parliamentary Union, India ranks 147th in a list of 193 countries in terms of women’s representation in the lower house of parliament (Lok Sabha) as of April 1, 2018. While the average percentage of women representation globally stands at 22.8 percent, in case of India, it is mere 11.8 percent.

What is the way forward?

The Women’s Reservation Bill which was introduced by the UPA government in 2008, promises 33 percent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Though the Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha, it lapsed getting no assent from the Lok Sabha. Academicians have been arguing that positive gender discrimination laws in favour of women are necessary for increasing women representation among lawmakers. The 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments in 1993, reserving one-third of the seats in all local bodies for women, have ensured adequate representation of women in the local bodies to some extent.