Tirupati: The number of women aspiring to step into the Assembly and Lok Sabha has been registering a marginal increase in the state over the years. While the tail-end district of Chittoor boasts of more women voters than men and is all set to turn the face of 2019 election, the number of women contesting the elections has also increased.
It may be recalled that the district has always been in the forefront to produce more women candidates for the state Assembly overthe past 62 years compared to other districts of the state. According to the information available, the first women candidate to contest and win the election from the district was T.N. Anasuyamma who contested from Thamballapalle in 1967 on Congress ticket.
Other women who got the chance to step into the state Assembly include Rani Sundarammani (1970) and Jhansi Lakshmi of Chittoor on Janata party ticket, K. Syamala (1985) of TD from Tirupati, G. Kuthuhalamma (2009) of Congress from Vepenjeri and Galla Arunakumari (1989-1994 and 1999-2014) of Congress from Chandragiri and R. Shobha and H. Hemalatha of TD from Madanapalle and Satyavedu, R.K. Roja of YSRC and D. A. Satyaprabha of TD from Nagari and Chittoor.
Tor the first time in the district, as many as 10 women candidates from various major political parties are going to test their luck in the poll ring this time. While Telugu Desam and Jana Sena has fielded three women each, the Congress has fielded two women while the principle opposition YSR Congress has limited this number to one.
The ruling party has fielded, Lalitha Kumari who is facing off against nine men at Puthalapattu (SC). M. Sugunamma, sitting legislator faces the main opposition from Bhumana Karunakar Reddy of YSRC and Chadalawada Krishnamurthy of Jana Sena in Tirupati. N. Aneesha Reddy, sister-in-law of minister N. Amarnatha Reddy is contesting against Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy of YSRC who is said to be having a stronghold at Punganur.
The principle oppositions fielded its lone women candidate in the district, R.K. Roja, sitting legislator of Nagari. The other women candidates contesting from Nagari were Nishida of BJP and Pravalika of BSP.
The Congress has fielded two women candidates in Tirupati and Punganur, namely K. Prameelamma and a newcomer Safaya Nadini, respectively. Apart from BSP women candidate, the Jana Sena has fielded novices Nagaram Vinutha at Srikalahasthi and Gangarapu Swathi at Madanapalle. It remains to be seen how the women candidates are going to the change the face of the poll ring around the district.
Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
