The coming Council of the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (MCK) will sport a diffferent look and voice. Women will have a bigger say in the next council as nearly half the number of seats of the total 60 municipal divisions are reserved for women. In another 14 general divisions too they are taking on their male rivals.
Besides, women have outnumbered men in contesting the MCK elections. The figures are revealing. In 30 municipal divisions reserved for women, a total of 369 have remained in fray. While in the remaining 30 divisions reserved for men, only 168 are in the contest. In the 14 general seats, 19 women are contesting the elections, and are giving a tough fight to their male opponents.
Following the active participation of women in the last Municipal Council, the BJP had allocated four seats to women candidates in the general seats, and the TRS had fielded a woman in a general seat. In the remaining nine general divisions too, women are in the fight.
Fighting as independents too
BJP candidates, including former corporator Gugilla Jayashree remained in the fray from the 36th division, former corporator Choppari Jayashree is fighting from the 13th division, former corporator Raparthi Vijaya from the 58th division, and political novice S. Manjulavani was fielded from the 12th division. The TRS had fielded former corporator Katla Vidya from 9th division. Besides, several women candidates are in the fray as independents in the general seats.
In a first in MCK’s history, two women corporators belonging to the TRS were elected unopposed in this election. Challa Swaroopa Rani from the 37th division and Tula Rajeshwari from the 20th division have already tasted victory and gave a boost to other women contestants’ campaigning.. Surprisingly, a total of 12 women candidates are competing from the 32nd division in Karimnagar.
Giving a tough fight
Female contestants in the general seats are giving a tough fight to their male counterparts in the electioneering. Besides organising door-to-door campaigns, they are also campaigning by deploying publicity vehicles. With offices in the respective divisions, they are holding parleys with the voters and chalking out campaign strategies.