MAPUSA
With a woman sarpanch and a ZP member among the seven women contestants in the fray in Bardez, voters in the taluka have an opportunity to send a woman representative to the Goa assembly when they go to vote on February 14.
And if the voters indeed do that, then it will be the second time in the history of Goan electoral politics that a woman candidate from Bardez is elected to the august House.
Fatima D’Sa was the first and only woman to be elected as the MLA from the taluka who went on to become a minister.
While Congress and TMC have fielded one woman candidate in the taluka comprising of seven constituencies, BJP and Aam Aadmi Party have none.
Shiv Sena and Sambhaji Brigade Party have also fielded a woman candidate each in Bardez.
Former minister, Michael Lobo’s wife and Parra Sarpanch Delilah Lobo is contesting from Siolim on Congress ticket while former MLA Kiran Kandolkar’s spouse and Colvale ZP member Kavita Kandolkar is contesting from Tivim on the TMC label.
Shiv Sena has fielded Charisma Fernandes while Sambhaji Brigade Party has named Diana Fernandes as a candidate from Siolim.
Besides, Pooja Mayekar (Aldona), Neeta Khanvilkar (Mapusa) and Pallavi Dabholkar (Siolim) have also thrown their hat in the ring as Independent candidates.
Former transport minister, Fatima D’Sa is the only woman who was elected as the MLA in Bardez since 1963, the first assembly election held after Goa’s liberation till date.
D’Sa had won from the Aldona constituency in the 1994 assembly elections.
In the last assembly election (2017) AAP had fielded two candidates “ Shraddha Khalap from Mapusa and Ursula D’Souza from Aldona while BJP and Congress had none.
According to Mahesh Rane, a keen political observer, the win-ability factor was keeping the women back from contesting an election.
“Earlier women lacked the confidence to enter a male dominated political system. With the introduction of women reservation, women are now coming out to contest in panchayat and ZP elections. In future many more women will come forward to contest,” Rane said.
He said the national and other political parties should also play their part and promote women candidates.
