Fairer sex inconspicuous in Telugu Desam candidates list

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, April 9, 2014:  While the Congress and YSRC has been chanting woman mantra and made every effort to tap into the female electorate by fielding woman candidates, the TD, on the contrary, hasn’t awarded ticket to a single member of the fairer sex for the five Lok sabha constituencies in the three districts of north Andhra.

Women voters outnumber their male counterparts in 10 of 15 assembly constituencie sin Vizag district. The second-rung leaders of various parties are trying to lure them by dolling out pulses, rice, sarees, some kitchen utensils and electronic goods. But women are not being given tickets to contest from Assembly or Parliament constituency.

Of the total electorate of 32,19,585 in Vizag, which will go up further, the number of male voters is 16,03,107 and the women voters are 16,16,299 in number, almost 13,192 more than men.

YSRC chief, YS Jaganmohan Reddy has decided to field either his sister Sharmila or mother YS Vijayamma, former government official, Kothapalli Geeta, Reddy Shanthi for Vizag, Araku and Srikakulam parliament constituencies.  

Congress announced Botsa Jhansi and Thota Vijayalakshmi and Killi Kruparani as candidates for Viziangaram, Anakapalle and Srikakulam parliament constituencies respectively. But TD reportedly has not fielded any female candidate in any of the five constituencies in the three districts.

Of the 5 lok sabha segments in north Andhra, TD chief N Chandrababu Naidu has announced candidates for Vizianagaram and Srikakulam. Viziangaram ticket has gone to party veteran leader, Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Srikakulam ticket to late K Yerran Naidu’s son Ram Mohan Naidu.

Two seats Vizag and Araku had gone to the saffron party under TD-BJP poll pact. And the Anakapalle lok sabha seat is likely to go to either former minister Ganta Srinivas Rao or Bheemili MLA, Muttamsetti Srinivas Rao.

In the first list of party candidates announced for assembly and parliament in Andhra Pradesh, only one woman’s name- former minister K Prathibha Bharathi for Rajam assembly constituency in Srikakulam district- figured.

“TDP has always been a supporter of women in politics. The likes of Pratibha Bharati and Kutuhalamma are examples of such women empowerment. In 2014, we haven't finalised the list of Lok Sabha candidates yet. I am confident that some of us will make the list,” TD Vizag lok sabha aspirant and former director of IT giant Kenexa technologies, Aneeta Sakuru told this correspondent.