Quota Shift Pushes Leaders to Field Wives, Daughters in Local Polls
With 50% seats for women and 42% for BCs, the new quota reshuffle reshapes political strategies
Adilabad: Many senior male leaders of major political parties, whose hopes were dashed by changes in the existing reservation system, are now planning to field their daughters and wives in the upcoming local body elections. With 50 per cent of seats reserved for women and 42 per cent reserved for BCs across ZP chairperson, ZPTC, MPTC, and sarpanch posts, the chances for women candidates have increased significantly compared to the last elections.
Several senior leaders who held ZP chairperson posts in the previous local body elections were left disappointed by the changes in reservations. The posts of Nirmal, Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, and Mancherial have been reshuffled, denying them a chance to contest again for ZP chief this time.
In the last elections, ZP chairperson posts in Adilabad and Komaram Bheem Asifabad districts were reserved for STs. However, in the current allocations, no ZP chairperson post has been reserved for STs in these four districts. Leaders who had planned to contest for ZPTC seats are now shifting focus to MPTC positions or fielding their wives, daughters, or other women family members, given the reservation changes.
Women voters outnumber men in all four districts, Adilabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, and Asifabad. According to sources, Adilabad district has 473 gram panchayats, 20 ZPTCs, and 166 MPTCs; Mancherial has 305 GPs, 16 ZPTCs, and 129 MPTCs; Nirmal has 400 GPs, 18 ZPTCs, and 157 MPTCs; and Asifabad has 335 GPs (Sarpanch), 15 ZPTCs, and 127 MPTCs.
The new reservation pattern has altered political strategies. In Nirmal and Komaram Bheem Asifabad districts, ZP chairperson posts are now reserved for BC (General/Women); in Mancherial, the ZP chairperson post is reserved for General (Women); and in Adilabad, the ZP chairperson post is also reserved for Women (Unreserved).
Political circles are abuzz with reports that a senior Congress leader from Adilabad Assembly Constituency, who had earlier planned to contest from Bheempur with an eye on the ZP chairperson post, is now planning to field his wife as a ZPTC candidate from Indravelli, which has been reserved for General (Women).
Meanwhile, several women leaders who were earlier reluctant to contest local body elections have now become active, encouraged by the increased number of seats reserved for women and BC candidates.
Official figures show that the four districts together have 16,29,854 gram panchayat voters, 7,95,709 male voters and 8,34,082 female voters, a difference of 38,373 in favour of women.
Adilabad district has 4,49,981 voters (2,30,313 women, 2,19,652 men, 16 others). Women voters outnumber men by 10,661. In Mancherial district, there are 3,76,676 voters (1,91,015 women, 1,85,646 men, 15 others). Women voters are ahead by 5,369. In Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, there are 3,53,895 voters (1,77,269 women, 1,76,606 men, 20 others). Women voters are ahead by 663.