The number of women candidates in the Legislative Assembly has remained the same this time too, with only seven women having emerged victorious.
A total of 217 women candidates (excluding two in Jayanagar where the election has been countermanded) had been fielded as against 170 in the previous elections.
In 2013, three of the six women MLAs were from the Congress, two from the BJP, and one was from the JD(S). Of the three women MLAs in the Congress, only one — Umashree — became a Minister in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet, with the portfolio of Minister for Women and Child Development.
In the byelection to the Assembly from Gundlupet in 2017, M.C. Mohan Kumari alias Geetha Mahadev Prasad won from the Congress, and was made Minister of State with independent charge for Sugar and Small Industries.
The break-up
At 15, the Congress had fielded the highest number of women candidates this time. But, even that is a mere 6.7% of the total number of the party candidates. While the BJP had fielded five women (2.3%), the JD(S) had fielded six (2.75%).
As many as 53 women contested as Independents.
This is hardly a surprise if one looks at Karnataka’s track record. In 2013, of the 170 women candidates in the fray — or nearly 6% of the total number of candidates, the Congress and the BJP had fielded a mere 10 and seven women, respectively.
The JD(S) had given ticket to only six. Sixty-seven women contested as Independent candidates.
