Shimla MC poll: Congress, BJP rotate seats between spouses

Subhash Rajta

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Shimla, April 26

The Congress and the BJP have fielded the spouses of their former councillors in many wards for the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) elections.

In a couple of wards, the husband-wife duo has been taking turns to contest elections as per the reservation roaster for 20 years in a row. When the ward is open, the husband contests; and when the ward is reserved for women, the wife jumps into the fray.

Calling it undemocratic, the AAP and the CPM have slammed both the parties for encouraging this practice. “Rotating the ticket within a family defeats the whole purpose of having reservation in the elections. In most cases, the husband continues calling the shots through his wife even when he isn’t councillor,” said AAP leader Rakesh Azta.

“The bigger elections have become the fiefdom of the moneyed and powerful people. At least these parties should allow common people to contest the smaller elections,” he said.

Although critical of the practice, the CPM feels it’s not wrong when both the husband and the wife are politically active. “But when the wife is not politically active and is fielded just to retain power within the family, it’s absolutely wrong, and an example of ‘parivaarwaad’,” said Sanjay Chauhan, a CPM leader.

Keeping just one family in the forefront leaves dedicated party workers disgruntled. Taruna Misra, a BJP worker of many decades, has quit the party to contest from the AAP. “In my ward, the BJP has been rotating the ticket between a woman and her son. Where are the opportunities for other dedicated and deserving candidates?” she asked.

The beneficiaries of the practice, however, don’t see anything wrong with it. Uma Kaushal, who is contesting the election for the third time and her husband is also a two-time councilor, says she and her family members have been contesting as per the will of the people.

“My family has been contesting since 1985. My family members have contested six elections and have won all of these. If we had been thrust upon people, is it possible to win so many elections?” asked Uma Kaushal.