Faridabad municipal elections: Women candidates challenge male dominance

With 93 out of 220 candidates contesting for the 46 municipal wards and the post of Mayor, a significant number of women candidates have stepped into the electoral fray, including in unreserved wards where they are taking on male contenders.

Breakdown of candidates:

Total: 220

Men: 127

Women: 93

Women in reserved wards: 72

Women in unreserved wards: 13

Unreserved wards with no women: 22

According to Election Department officials, 15 out of 46 wards in the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) are reserved for women under different categories, while 22 wards remain unreserved. Interestingly, 13 women are contesting from nine unreserved wards, making the contest tougher for male candidates.

Women seem to have an upper hand in this election, as the Mayor’s post is also reserved for a woman, with six candidates in the race. "The last occupant of the Mayor’s post was also a woman, though the Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor positions were held by men in the last elected body," said an official.

The Mayor’s race is expected to be four-cornered, with all major political parties fielding candidates. The BJP has fielded Parveen Batra Joshi, Congress Lata Rani, AAP Nisha Dalal Faujdar and BSP Mansa Paswan. The Independent candidates in the fray are Sangeeta Yadav and Anjana Sharma.

Although the BJP had held the Mayor’s post previously, the party has chosen a fresh face instead of a former minister who was interested in contesting under the party symbol.

Political analysts suggest that women contesting in unreserved wards could disrupt traditional vote patterns. "Male candidates will now face a broader challenge, as they must counter not only their usual rivals but also an increasing number of women contestants," observed an expert.

The reserved wards for women include 11 for the general category, two for SC and two for BC candidates, with a total of 72 contestants vying for these seats.