Arjumand Shah
Srinagar Aug 30 (KINS): Political parties have largely favored male candidates in the first phase of the J&K Assembly polls.
At least 244 candidates are contesting 24 assembly constituencies in the first phase of J&K Assembly elections scheduled on September 18.
Surprisingly, only three women have submitted their nomination papers from major political parties of Jammu and Kashmir.
Despite their claims of championing women’s empowerment, political parties have largely overlooked female candidates.
The National Conference has nominated 16 candidates for the first phase of polls, but only one of them is female—Sakina Yatoo, a former J&K minister, who is contesting from South Kashmir’s Damhal Hanjipora.
Similarly, out of 16 candidates from the BJP who submitted their nomination papers, only one is a woman—Shagun Parihar, who will be contesting from the Kishtwar constituency in the Jammu region. Shagun lost her father and uncle in a terrorist attack five years ago.
The PDP has also fielded just one female candidate in the first phase: Iltija Mufti, the daughter of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who is contesting from South Kashmir’s Bijbehara.
The Congress has fielded nine candidates, with no female candidates among them.
Likewise, Apni Party and the Democratic Progressive Azad Party have not fielded any female candidates.
During 2014 assembly polls, among 90, only two candidates made it to the J & K Legislature assembly.(KINS)
