14 Women Candidates In Field

From Our Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, February 22.

In the last general election there were 16 women candidates. Three of them were independent and the remaining 13 fought on the Congress candidates were successful. 

Of the nine Congress women candidates in this election only one, Begum Yusuf Zaman of Malerkotla, is new. Five are sitting legislators and three are those who were defeated last time. 

Read More: Punjab Assembly Elections — 1962

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• General Election in Punjab
• Election Results
• Biggest Revolution in India
• 14 Women Candidates In Field
• Punjabi Suba Harmful To Common Man
• No Promise Held Out On Commission’s Personnel
• 862 Candidates Left In Election Field
• Peaceful Polling in Punjab
• 1,251 In The Field For 154 Assembly Seats
• Final party position in Punjab Assembly
• Prominent People

Kanwarani Jagdish Kaur: Kanwarani Jagdish Kaur was the only non-Congress woman candidate to be successful in the last general election. She had fought against her husband Kanwar Majitinder Singh, the Congress nominee and had won the Jaitu Assembly seat. 

She is now contesting from the Faridkot Assembly constituency as Akali nominee. 

Great grand-daughter of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Kanwarani Jagdish Kaur (43) studied up to intermediate at Queen Marry’s College, Lahore. Mother of three children, she is interested in the welfare of women and children and loves classical music. 

She has painting, gardening and knitting as her hobbies. 

Dr. Parkash Kaur: Dr. Parkash Kuar, Deputy Minister, who is recontesting form the Majithia Assembly constituency on the Congress ticket has served as a house surgeon and for some time she has been in charge of a maternity hospital.

She joined the national movement for freedom at the instance of her father-in-law Sardar Amar Singh Jhabal, one of the founders of Akali Dal.

Mrs. Sarla Devi: Born on January 13, 1922, Mrs Sarla Devi, M.L.A. entered upon political career in 1941. She has also worked in the Kisan Sabha and the All-India Women’s Conference. 

She is seeking election from the Barsar Assembly constituency in Kangra District on the Congress ticket. 

Rajkumari Sumitra Devi: Rajkumari Sumitra Devi, who was returned last time unopposed from the Rewari Assembly constituency on the Congress ticket, is contesting form the same constituency on the Congress ticket. 

Great-grand-daughter of Rao Raja Tula Ram, the then Rular of Rewari, who had taken part in the 1857 uprising, Rajkumari Sumitra Devi is unmarried and has devoted her life to the wefare of women and children. She is 50. 

Her father Rao Balbir Singh was a member of the Punjab Legislative Council and the Punjab Legislative Assembly in united Punjab. 

Mrs. Om Prabha Jain, M.L.A., youngest women legislator (30) who is seeking re-election form the Kaithal Parliamentary constituency on the Congress ticket has had a brilliant academic career. 

She is an M.A. in English and a practising lawyer. Wife of medical practitioner and mother of three children, she entered politics in 1957 and is an advocate of women’s emancipation. 

Bibi Har Parkash Kaur: Bibi Har Parkash Kaur, M.L.A., the Congress candidate from the Jagraon Assembly constituency in Ludhiana District is a pioneer in spreading education, especially among women. Born on October 24, 1902, Bibi Har Parkash Kaur is President of Khalsa College for Women, Basic Training College for Women and Sikh Girls High School at Sidhwan Khurd. 

Mrs. Parsini Devi: Mrs. Parsini Devi, wife of a professor, is contesting from the Rajound constituency in Karnal District. She was born on August 15, 1929. 

She fought and lost this seat in the last general election.

Mrs. Chandrawati: Mrs. Chandrawati, who is contesting from the Dadri Assembly constituency in Mahendragarh District on the Congress ticket, is also a lawyer. She was a member of the Assembly for three years. 

She fought from this constituency unsuccessfully in the last general election. 

Born on September 3, 1925 she has devoted her life to the uplift of women. 

Mrs. Shanno Devi: Mrs. Shanno Devi (57) was a legislator until she lost as a Congress candidate from Rohtak City in the last general election. 

A former Principal of Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Jullundur, Mrs. Shanno Devi entered upon political career in 1919 in the wake of Jallianwala Bagh episode. She was thrice detained and was once convicted for six months.

Mrs. Shanno Devi is contesting as a Congress nominee from the Jagadhari Assembly constituency of Ambala District. 

Mrs. Sheila: The Communists have set up Mrs. Sheila, barrister-at-law, commonly known as Sheila Didi, from the Ludhiana North Assembly constituency. 

Educated in England, she comes of a patriotic family. Her father Mr. Lal Chand Sharma was sentenced to death in 1915-16 for his activities in the African branch of the Gadar Party. The sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment. 

She returned to India in 1956 and took active part in the peace movement. A gifted writer, she is an active member of the Punjab Lok Istri Sabha.  

Miss Shankuntala: The only woman candidate of the Swantantra Party, Miss Shankuntala is an M.A. and a practising lawyer in the Punjab High Court. 

Mrs: Lajja: She is contesting form the Simla Assembly constituency. Mrs. Lajja is for practical purposes, a non-participating candidate from the Simla Assembly constituency. She was defeated in the last general election as a Congress candidate. She filed her nomination papers this time when the Congress selected her as the party candidate. The nomination was later withdrawn but she did not have enough time to withdraw her candidature.