Making victory its sole criterion, BJP’s ticket distribution has included a number of women aspirants for the December 4 elections, in the national Capital.
The party might field more women candidates this year as compared to the last elections when only four female BJP candidates were given party tickets. Delhi BJP President Vijay Goel said that the party would provide a ‘fair opportunity’ to women leaders in the coming elections and that some of them are ‘prospective winners’ for the party.
Sources, however, indicated that the party might reserve 10 to 15 per cent of the total 70 seats for women. With the race for the Assembly ticket gaining momentum, at least half a dozen names have emerged as potential contenders. The list includes Arti Mehra, Vani Tripathi, Kirron Kher, Mira Aggarwal, Sarita Chaudhary and Rekha Gupta, among others. “There will be a fair representation of BJP’s women candidates in the Assembly polls. Though winnability will be the criterion for selection, the party will field more women candidates than in the 2008 Assembly polls,” said Goel.
Sources said that securing 10 per cent of the total seats would mean at least seven women candidates will be given tickets. Prominent contenders include BJP National President and former Delhi Mayor Arti Mehra, actor Kirron Kher, BJP secretary Vani Tripathi, South Delhi Mayor Sarita Chaudhary, former Mayors of North and East Delhi Corporations — Mira Aggarwal and Annapurna Mishra and national secretary of BJP’s women cell, Rekha Gupta. Sources said that Kher and Tripathi might be handed the ticket for the New Delhi Assembly segment against Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit while Mehra was seeking a ticket from Malviya Nagar constituency. Sarita Chaudhary has been eyeing a ticket from Sangam Vihar while two-time Councillor from Pitampura, Rekha Gupta, might contest the polls from Tri Nagar Assembly constituency.
“Women aspirants have a good chance this year. The BJP is the only party to introduce 33 per cent reservation for women in party organisation and 50 per cent reservation in the Municipal Corporations. We are hopeful that the trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. There is competition among women aspirants but only the prospective winners should be given the ticket,” Arti Mehra told The Pioneer.
The BJP had fielded only four women candidates in 2008. While Talat Sultana was a BJP candidate from Matia Mahal constituency, the ticket had been given to Asha Yogi from Rajinder Nagar. Yogi was made party’s candidate after the death of her husband and former MlA Puran Chand Yogi. Similarly, BJP fielded former Mayor Anita Arya from Patel Nagar; Kamaljeet had managed to secure a party ticket from Matiala. However, all four candidates lost to the Congress in the last Assembly elections.