<p>Over 15,000 candidates have contested in the district from the first Assembly elections in 1952 -- and Mysore has not seen more than three women legislators in these last six decades. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Congress emerges as the only party which has facilitated women contestants. Though the other parties have fielded women candidates, the same have failed to emerge victorious. <br /><br />K S Nagarathnamma, who first contested from Gundlupet constituency (erstwhile Mysore) in 1957, won the fight as an Independent candidate with 24,955 votes (65.66 per cent). She was the only woman candidate who was in fray from all over Mysore that year. <br /><br />The subsequent polls in 1962 saw a marginal increase in the number of women candidates, including Nagarathnamma who contested as an Independent. The other three were Y Ramabai (Jan Sangh - T Narsipur); Puttathayamma (Independent - Mysore city North); and Venkamma Palahally Sitaramaiah (Praja Socialist Party- Mysore city). Nagaratnamma was the sole woman candidate to win the polls. <br />Nagarathnamma’s reign continued in the constituency in 1967, 1972, 1983 and 1985 on a Congress ticket. She tasted defeat only in 1978 against H K Shivarudrappa (Independent) with a margin of just 271 votes. <br /><br />She has been the only woman candidate to rule a single constituency for six times. Other notable woman politicians from this region are Chandra Prabha Urs (who won from Hunsur constituency twice) and Muktharunnisa Begum (once from Narasimha Raja constituency). <br /><br />However from 1983, there has been considerable increase in women stepping into the fray. Of the eight women candidates only Nagarathnamma (Congress) and Urs (Janatha Party) won that year. <br /><br />In 1985, Begum won from Narasimha Raja constituency, represented continously by Azeez Sait. In the same year, Urs who contested from Congress in Hunsur lost to H L Thimmegowda of Janatha Party. <br /><br />In the year 1989 there were four candidates. Only Urs had emerged victorious that year. However from 1994 luck did not favour the ladies in any constituencies in Mysore, as none of the ten candidates came close to winning.<br /><br />The polls of the bifurcated district of Mysore and Chamarajanagar of 1999 saw just two candidates - Shashikala Nagaraja (Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha - T Narsipur) and Urs (Congress - Hunsur). <br /><br />The 2004 polls saw only two contestants - Pushpa (Urs Samyuktha Paksha - N R constituency) and Nandini Gowda (Janatha Party - Nanjangud). Three of them entered the fray in 2008 - Manjula Raju (Independent - HD Kote ) and Jaji (Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha - H D Kote) and Kamala Peter (Independent- Narasimha Raja constituency). <br /><br />While the Congress has not fielded any women candidates for the upcoming elections, Shantha, general secretary of BJP City Women’s Wing says that there are no women aspirants.<br /><br />‘Women ignored’ <br /><br />Former minister and Congress leader Rani Satish said that internal lobbies in the party had facilitated tickets to those favouring leaders, leaving many party loyalists neglected.<br /><br />She said that women activists of the party too have been sidelined. Citing the example of former mayor Modamani, Satish said that she was “not allowed to grow as a leader or become powerful”. She said that many women from Mysore had been aspirants of Congress tickets, but unfortunately they had not been accommodated.<br /><br />No lobby<br /><br />R Indira, Director of International Center and Chairperson of Sociology department, University of Mysore, said that national parties like the Congress had failed to abide its own reservation regulations, which were put in place in the 1960s. “Political parties have failed to recognise the women leaders. An absence of lobbying by women for the women was the main reason for women not getting tickets. Organised women lobby groups should pressurise the high command of the parties, she added. <br />“Parties which see women voters important for their victory are not ready to accept the candidature of women. Very few women occupy public space. Strong voices should be raised by women,” she added.<br /></p>
<p>Over 15,000 candidates have contested in the district from the first Assembly elections in 1952 -- and Mysore has not seen more than three women legislators in these last six decades. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Congress emerges as the only party which has facilitated women contestants. Though the other parties have fielded women candidates, the same have failed to emerge victorious. <br /><br />K S Nagarathnamma, who first contested from Gundlupet constituency (erstwhile Mysore) in 1957, won the fight as an Independent candidate with 24,955 votes (65.66 per cent). She was the only woman candidate who was in fray from all over Mysore that year. <br /><br />The subsequent polls in 1962 saw a marginal increase in the number of women candidates, including Nagarathnamma who contested as an Independent. The other three were Y Ramabai (Jan Sangh - T Narsipur); Puttathayamma (Independent - Mysore city North); and Venkamma Palahally Sitaramaiah (Praja Socialist Party- Mysore city). Nagaratnamma was the sole woman candidate to win the polls. <br />Nagarathnamma’s reign continued in the constituency in 1967, 1972, 1983 and 1985 on a Congress ticket. She tasted defeat only in 1978 against H K Shivarudrappa (Independent) with a margin of just 271 votes. <br /><br />She has been the only woman candidate to rule a single constituency for six times. Other notable woman politicians from this region are Chandra Prabha Urs (who won from Hunsur constituency twice) and Muktharunnisa Begum (once from Narasimha Raja constituency). <br /><br />However from 1983, there has been considerable increase in women stepping into the fray. Of the eight women candidates only Nagarathnamma (Congress) and Urs (Janatha Party) won that year. <br /><br />In 1985, Begum won from Narasimha Raja constituency, represented continously by Azeez Sait. In the same year, Urs who contested from Congress in Hunsur lost to H L Thimmegowda of Janatha Party. <br /><br />In the year 1989 there were four candidates. Only Urs had emerged victorious that year. However from 1994 luck did not favour the ladies in any constituencies in Mysore, as none of the ten candidates came close to winning.<br /><br />The polls of the bifurcated district of Mysore and Chamarajanagar of 1999 saw just two candidates - Shashikala Nagaraja (Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha - T Narsipur) and Urs (Congress - Hunsur). <br /><br />The 2004 polls saw only two contestants - Pushpa (Urs Samyuktha Paksha - N R constituency) and Nandini Gowda (Janatha Party - Nanjangud). Three of them entered the fray in 2008 - Manjula Raju (Independent - HD Kote ) and Jaji (Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha - H D Kote) and Kamala Peter (Independent- Narasimha Raja constituency). <br /><br />While the Congress has not fielded any women candidates for the upcoming elections, Shantha, general secretary of BJP City Women’s Wing says that there are no women aspirants.<br /><br />‘Women ignored’ <br /><br />Former minister and Congress leader Rani Satish said that internal lobbies in the party had facilitated tickets to those favouring leaders, leaving many party loyalists neglected.<br /><br />She said that women activists of the party too have been sidelined. Citing the example of former mayor Modamani, Satish said that she was “not allowed to grow as a leader or become powerful”. She said that many women from Mysore had been aspirants of Congress tickets, but unfortunately they had not been accommodated.<br /><br />No lobby<br /><br />R Indira, Director of International Center and Chairperson of Sociology department, University of Mysore, said that national parties like the Congress had failed to abide its own reservation regulations, which were put in place in the 1960s. “Political parties have failed to recognise the women leaders. An absence of lobbying by women for the women was the main reason for women not getting tickets. Organised women lobby groups should pressurise the high command of the parties, she added. <br />“Parties which see women voters important for their victory are not ready to accept the candidature of women. Very few women occupy public space. Strong voices should be raised by women,” she added.<br /></p>
