A Correspondent
DHUBRI : Although half of the seats in the panchayat election are set aside for women in order to enable them to participate in this grassroots democratic process and exercise, the reality tells a very different tale.
In this poll-bound district of Dhubri, there are thousands of posters, leaflets, and banners flashed, stuck, or hung throughout the villages. However, it is unusual to see images of female candidates alongside images of her husbands or male relatives. More surprisingly, some posters, banners, and leaflets lack images of female candidates and instead feature her husbands grinning at them while requesting votes for their wives.
In response to a question, a seasoned political observer stated that women in the rural Dhubri district are rarely empowered in either the social or political spheres.
“Women folk of minority community still live entirely dependent on their male partners in rural and sar (sandbars) area. This is clearly and vividly visible in this panchayat poll. But new generation of women folk living in urban area armed with modern education are far and far ahead of the time compared to rural folk of women. This educated young women and girls will turn the table in days to come with expression of freedom from patriarch, dogmatic and life with several clutches,” observer further opined.
Officer engaged in Dhubri panchayat poll duty informed The Sentinel that Dhubri district has a total of 10,52,452 voters, with 5,42,630 male voters and 5,09,807 female voters. There are 20 Zilla Parishad seats, 10 Anchalik Panchayat seats, and 128 Gaon Panchayat seats, with 50% reservation for women in each category.
Total candidates are 69 in the fray for Zila Parishad seat, of which BJP is 18, INC 19, AIUDF 15, AGP 2, SUCI 3, AAP 2, RUC 1, Raijor Dal 5, and Independent 5.
417 candidates are contesting in the Anchalik level, of which BJP fielded 101 candidates, INC 123, AIUDF 88, AGP 10, Raijor Dal 17, CPI(M) 2 and Independent 75 while there 3999 candidates in the fray for Gaon Panchayat Members. Altogether, 1465 polling stations across the Dhubri district will go to polls on May 7, officer further informed.
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