NIZAMABAD: Women will play a key role in the municipal elections that will be held in undivided Nizamabad district.
The number of women voters is high in Nizamabad Municipal Corporation and six municipalities in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts.
Political parties are searching for suitable candidates to field in the polls. Leaders are trying to get party tickets for their women family members so that they can get the post of either a municipal corporator or a municipal councillor.
In the past two decades the representation of women in the urban local bodies has gradually improved. The government has increased reservation in local bodies from 33 per cent to 50 per cent. This has resulted in some political leaders trying to field their spouses, mothers or other women family members.
In undivided Nizamabad district, the Nizamabad Municipal Corporation has the largest number of women voters.
Speaking to this newspaper, TRS youth wing leader Neelagiri Raju who plans to field his wife for the upcoming municipal elections said, “We will take the final decision after there is clarity about the reservations for municipal divisions in Nizamabad city. There are a large number of women voters in the municipal divisions and they will definitely support the candidature of a woman.”
Akula Sujatha was the first woman mayor of Nizamabad. Pippiri Sushma and Swathi Singh were the chairpersons of Kamareddy and Armoor Municipalities. It has been found that the local bodies functioned in a better manner under the leadership of the women.
Kamareddy former municipal chairperson Pippiri Sushma said, “In the previous council of the 33 municipal wards, 16 wards were represented by women councillors. Presently, the ward numbers have increased to 49 and it is likely that women representation may be seen in 25 wards. Women councillors brought civic issues at the council meetings.”
She said that there was a need to have orientation programmes for the elected women representatives so that they know their rights and responsibilities. The reason being is that a few women faced difficulties as they entered politics from being housewives. With the support of the family, women can perform better.
Banswada, Bheemgal and Yellareddy which were major gram panchayats have been upgraded as municipalities in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts also have a large women voter population.
It is believed that more than half of the urban local bodies may be reserved for women as their representation is high in the towns. TRS, Congress, BJP, and MIM parties are also planning to field educated and active women for the upcoming municipal elections.
