In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, eight women candidates emerged victorious, making the state with the third-largest contingent of female MPs. Notable winners included Supriya Sule (NCP) from Baramati, Dr Heena Gavit (BJP) from Nandurbar, Raksha Khadse (BJP) from Raver seat, Pritam Munde (BJP) from Beed, Navneet Rana (Independent) from Amravati, Dr Bharati Pawar (BJP) from Dindori, Bhavana Gawli (Shiv Sena) from Yavatmal-Washim and Poonam Mahajan (BJP) from Mumbai North-Central. These eight women MPs predominantly hail from influential political families, and this time, once again, the same trend continues.
For instance, Supriya Sule is the daughter of Sharad Pawar, a prominent figure in Maharashtra politics. Heena Gavit, the youngest MP in the 16th Lok Sabha, is the daughter of Vijay Kumar Gavit, a BJP MLA who was formerly with the NCP. Raksha Khadse is the daughter-in-law of Eknath Khadse, a senior NCP leader. Pritam Munde is the daughter of late BJP leader Gopinath Munde. Navneet Rana is the wife of independent MLA Ravi Rana. Dr Bharati Pawar is the daughter-in-law of former minister Arjun Pawar. Bhavana Gawali is the daughter of senior Shiv Sena leader Pundlikrao Gawali. Poonam Mahajan is the daughter of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan.
The spotlight is on the contest between Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar in Baramati, as well as Navneet Rana's candidacy in Amaravati, now under the BJP banner.
Ticket Allocations In Maharashtra Elections
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BJP has once again given a ticket to Raksha Khadse from the Raver constituency. The BJP has fielded Pankaja Munde from the Beed constituency. Dr Bharati Pawar and Dr Heena Gavit will contest the elections from the Dindori and Nandurbar constituencies respectively. The Congress has nominated Pratibha Dhanorkar, the widow of late Congress leader and MP Suresh Dhanorkar, from the Chandrapur constituency.
Praniti Shinde, the daughter of former Congress chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde, will contest from the Solapur constituency. Archana Patil, the wife of Rana Jagjitsinh Patil, BJP MLA from Tuljapur assembly constituency in Osmanabad, will contest from the Osmanabad constituency for the NCP (Ajit Pawar). The BJP candidate from Jalgaon, Smita Wagh, is the widow of the late MLA Uday Patil.
Female Candidates And Nominations In Maharashtra
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (Shinde) has denied a ticket to five-time MP Dr Bhawna Gavli due to anti-incumbency and instead declared Rajashree Patil as their candidate for the Yavatmal-Vashim constituency.
Shiv Sena (UBTy) has announced two female candidates, Vaishali Darekar from Kalyan and Bharati Kamadi from Palghar. However, Rashmi Barve, nominated by the Congress for the Ramtek constituency, had her candidacy rejected during scrutiny due to an issue with her caste certificate.
Women Candidates in Maharashtra's Political Field
Meanwhile, Bharati Kamadi, Vaishali Darekar-Rane and Rashmi Barve do not come from political families. Bharati Kamadi, the Uddhav Sena’s candidate from Palghar, previously served as the chairperson of Palghar Zilha Parishad. She belongs to the Adiwasi community and is from the Adiwasi Taluka Vikramgarh. Vaishali Darekar-Rane, who hails from a lower-middle-class background, previously held the position of Gat Pramukh. She was associated with the MNS and unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. After 15 years, she is once again in the fray, this time for Uddhav's Sena from Kalyan. Congress leader Rashmi Barve, also from a poor family, represents the first generation to enter politics.
While almost all parties have announced the candidacy of women, many of them are relatives of male leaders.
Challenges And Biases Faced by Women In Maharashtra's Political Sphere
Sushma Andhare, a feminist writer and leader of Shivsena (Thackeray), expressed, “In politics, not only caste and religion are considered but gender, regardless of whether one is male or female is also considered. If a woman lacks a political family background or godfather, her name often goes unheard in political circles. Women who enter politics without a political legacy or background face challenges, making navigating political strategy difficult. There are distinct criteria for men and women in politics, extending even to their attire and hairstyles, which creates an unfair double standard. Women who lack political godfathers or backgrounds often feel unsafe in their political careers.”
Hurdles Faced by Women in Maharashtra's Political Landscape
Hemant Desai, a political analyst and senior journalist, remarked, “This is unbecoming for Maharashtra and it proves that Maharashtra is not a progressive state. Maharashtra was the first state to declare 33% reservation for women in local bodies. However, in reality, many women are denied opportunities, especially those without a political family background. Contesting elections requires significant financial resources, which many women, particularly those from non-political families, lack. Additionally, they often need permission from their families to contest elections.”
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