Do freebies and poll promises, with no poll tickets, empower women? It is a question many are asking during the Punjab Elections 2022.

In a state where women make up for 45% of the vote share, all mainstream parties are luring women voters. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal has promised Rs 1,000 per month to women if they form the government. Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has announced Rs 2,000 monthly grant to women heads of blue card holder families. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Navjot Sidhu also made such a promise, but the Congress is yet to release its manifesto.

However, when it comes to tickets, parties have failed to give much representation. In the 2017 assembly elections, only 7% candidates were women. The Congress had fielded 11 women candidates, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded two, SAD 5, while AAP fielded nine women candidates.

In the 2022 assembly elections too, the representation remains miniscule. The Congress has fielded 11 women candidates out of its 117, SAD-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance has given tickets to six women, AAP has fielded 12 and the BJP alliance has fielded 10 women candidates.

‘STRUGGLE BEGINS AT HOME’

In most families, affluent or new to politics, men are the preferred choice for public life. Women of the family are either covering candidates (a representative for the men in the family if they can’t contest because of some legal hassle) or campaigners for the male candidate.

AAP candidate Narinder Kaur Bharaj, who is fighting a tough election against Congress candidate Vijayinder Singla in Sangrur, feels the political set-up does not give space to women. “It is a struggle against patriarchy,” she says.

Talking about the candidates who have been fighting elections for a long time, Bharaj says, “Most women candidates come from political families. They did not have to struggle. Women in general will have to fight for their place in the political sphere.”

Bharaj was the first woman polling agent in Punjab in 2014. She says it irks her when she goes to meet a woman sarpanch of a village and her husband is introduced as the sarpanch.

‘MEN ARE DECISION MAKERS’

Several women aspirants raised their voice when they were denied tickets, while others changed their party affiliation.

Rajesh Gill, professor of sociology in Panjab University, agrees with Bharaj’s statement and says that men don’t want to share the power. She says, “Men are decision-makers in most cases. They are eying the political posts 24×7 and building their network, which is not possible for women with other responsibilities. Merit is undermined.”

However, Gill maintains that women have sufficiently proven themselves in every field and in many cases, the chances of winning improve with a woman candidate. “There should be 50% reservation for women in assembly elections if we wish to be inclusive.”

Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, a candidate of the BJP alliance from Jaitu (SC), agrees that women perform better. “Women in general perform their familial duties better, make sure their children are well educated and so on,” she says. She too favours reservation for women in legislature, saying, “If there was no reservation for SC candidates, parties wouldn’t give tickets to SC candidates either.”

The reservation for women in the election is not a new demand. The Women’s Reservation Bill was first introduced in Parliament in 1996 by the United Front government of HD Deve Gowda. It aimed at reserving 33% seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies. Twenty-five years on, it is still to be passed.

On freebies and poll promises, Gulshan says, “I consider it an insult to women. It looks like purchasing women’s votes and women too will have to understand this, All promises are being made to women above 18 years of age, that is to women who can vote. It is not for social welfare.”

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FARMERS’ OUTFIT FIELDED 4 WOMEN

Sociologist Prof Manjit Singh too favours reservation for women candidates. He believes that active social participation of women will lead to their active participation in politics.

Prof Singh is also closely associated with the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), a political outfit created by 22 farm unions from Punjab. SSM has given ticket to only four women. On the miniscule number of candidates in SSM, he says, “A large number of women participants in the farm stir were from those unions who did not join politics such as the BKU (Ugrahan). Another reason for the poor representation is that it is a new outfit, created just before the elections. We specifically appealed for applications from women, but there were hardly any.”

Amandeep Kaur, SSM’s candidate from Bassi Pathana, says, “Appeals were made for women candidates. Women in general have to face a lot of difficulties, families don’t support them, social structure is such that women can’t think of joining politics.”

IN RURAL BELT

Karan Kaur Brar (ex MLA), a Congress candidate who fought her first election against Badal in Faridkot in 2004, is fighting the election from Sri Muktsar Sahib. “Women are not really accepted in the rural belt. I was accepted because of Brar Sahib,” she says. She is the daughter-in-law of Harcharan Singh Brar, former CM. Karan Kaur’s mother-in-law Gurbinder Kaur Brar (former MP) was also a successful INC politician.

BJP candidate from Moga Harjot Kamal, who was a Congress MLA, said “women can’t resolve issues faced by men, women can’t campaign among men”, when Sonu Sood’s sister Malvika Sood was likely to be given a ticket instead of him. He later joined the BJP the same day when Malvika’s ticket was announced.

Karan Kaur argues, “Women politicians don’t work alone as an individual, but we work with a team. The male members can resolve problems of men.” She feels that reservation for women in legislature it is a necessary step towards empowerment.

COVERING CANDIDATES

An analysis of the nominations filed shows that a majority of women file nominations for their male family members. They are usually seen as campaigners for the males in their families.

Amrita Warring, wife of Congress candidate Raja Warring, says, “It starts with how you bring up your children. A perception is created in children’s minds with even the kind of toys given to female and male children. We should raise them as equals.”

She further says that the society at large is male-centric. “Women have never been given power. Parties should announce reservation for women,” she says. When asked about Congress’s reservation for women for tickets in UP, but none in Punjab, she says, “Priyanka Gandhi is leading the UP campaign. It is her brainchild, only a woman could have thought of that. I am sure if it is successful there, it will be seen in other parts of the country as well. Until women are at the top of the pyramid, there can be no women-centric legislation.”

Warring is also campaigning for her husband and is often noticed for her oratory skills. When asked why she is not at the forefront and is a covering candidate in elections, she says, “I never thought about it earlier, but if the party gives a chance, I’ll be happy to contest.”​

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