Gujarat Panchayat polls: Women candidates step out to campaign, in the shadow of men in family

Carrying a stack of election pamphlets in her hand, Nipa, on directions from Kalpesh, obediently hands those out to the villagers as the former sarpanch urges them to “press lotus button” on November 29. Nipa’s pamphlet also has campaign appeal from Ganga Vasava, a BJP candidate for Dena taluka panchayat, who has not joined the campaign trail.

Pointing at Nipa, Kalpesh informs voters, “The first candidate mentioned in the pamphlet is here… You will see two EVMs. You must press number two on both to vote for BJP.”

The election pamphlet enlists promises made by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and the state government schemes, like “commitment to protect the self-respect of citizens”, “construction of 57 lakh toilets”, “Make in India campaign”, “inauguration of Kisan TV for farmers”, “collection of Rs 44 lakh crore fund for coal, spectrum” as well as “making land available for a memorial of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in Mumbai”. The pamphlet carries photographs of Nipa, Vasava and Kalpesh, with an appeal to vote for the BJP.

Nipa’s husband is a “businessman” and the couple have a twin, Shiv and Simran — a son and a daughter.

Nipa says the support of men from her family has been “immense” during the campaign. “Yes, it has helped me… My brother-in-law has been very active in this area and people know him. Though I am a first-time contestant, politics is in my blood. My father was the sarpanch of Tarsali village before it was included in the Vadodara city limits. My brother-in-law Kalpesh was sarpanch for over a decade, and now that the seat has been reserved for women, his wife and my sister-in-law, Kajal, is the sarpanch. So, we discuss politics all the time.”

The Gujarat government had increased the reservation of women in panchayats and urban local bodies from 33 per cent to 50 per cent, but women candidates shadow walking their men folk remains a common sight during election campaign.

In Vadodara, 18 out of 36 district panchayat seats and 88 out of 176 taluka panchayat seats are reserved for women.

Koyali-2 taluka panchayat seat is also reserved for women. Congress candidate Poonji Chauhan is campaigning under the watch of her husband Revji. Though Poonji claims that she has been a Congress worker for over 20 years, it is Revji who prompts her to tell the villagers of Ankodia to “vote for panja”.

Prompted by her husband, Poonji answers the questions. She says, “I come out to campaign myself. I have visited three villages and met people personally.” Revji, who belongs to the Kshatriya community, however, says accompanying Poonji is only “wise”.

He says, “She is a very bold woman, but I accompany her to help her in the campaign. She has to cover her head as older people in the villages might get offended .”

Poonji is pitted against BJP candidate Mittal Patel, wife of sitting taluka panchayat member from the seat Suresh Patel. Like in Poonji’s case, Suresh is leading the campaign for Mittal. Similarly, BJP’s Por district panchayat candidate Reena Patel, wife of BJP’s district unit vice-president Ashok Patel, is relying on her husband for campaigning.

BJP leaders in the district admit that it has been difficult to ensure women candidates are out campaigning. BJP’s Vadodara district unit president Satish Patel says the party has handed out strict instructions to women to step out of their homes.

“It is true that the women are contesting due to reservation, but the men continue to dominate the decision-making. So, the party has made a rule that the women candidates must attend the party meetings and also come out to campaign. Most tickets have been given to wives of the active candidates, who are popular among voters as well. In all elections, party symbol plays a major role, but for local body polls, voters consider their personal equation with candidates,” Satish says.