State’s first Woman MP?

The upcoming by election for Tehri parliamentary constituency on 10^th October is more or less a straight contest between the congress and the BJP. For the twelve other candidates saving their security deposits would be a major achievement.

That both the main parties have fielded candidates on the basis of their pedigree in a bid to perpetuate dynasties is a matter of serious concern. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna is hoping to do a “son rise” in Tehri, merely following the likes of his leader Sonia Gandhi, and others like Prakash Singh Badal, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Farooq Abdullah, etc. In a strange coincidence the son of President Pranab Mukherjee is also trying to do likewise as the congress candidate from the Jangipur seat in West Bengal that was vacated by his father upon moving to Rashtrapati Bhawan. The explicit intention is to pass on these parliamentary seats by way of inheritance to offsprings as is done with personal assets.

BJP’s candidate is truly blue blooded, a member of the erstwhile Tehri royal family. Her father-in-law late Manvendra Shah, much adored and respected, was elected by people of this constituency a record number of eight times as their representative in the Lok Sabha. Mala Raj Laxmi is bidding to regain her family’s traditional seat in order to continue serving the people of her former empire. For the ordinary voter, making a choice between the two is a herculean task indeed.

Amid the dull and listless proceedings, nobody has thus far realized that the electorate of Tehri constituency is uniquely poised and just a step away from creating history. And this rare opportunity has been unwittingly provided by the BJP. This constituency has never ever sent a woman MP to the Lok Sabha. In fact the record of all the five parliamentary constituencies falling in Uttarakhand has been rather dismal. Together, these constituencies have sent 66 MPs to Lok Sabha so far and, with the sole exception of Ila Pant who won the Nainital seat in 1998 during UP days on a BJP ticket, no other woman has ever been elected from any of the other seats. To seize this wonderful chance all that the voters of Tehri have to do is to dutifully exercise their right to vote on the polling day.

Will the fact that history may be in the making motivate and galvanize the electorate of Tehri into action? Will the voters cut across party, gender, caste and religious lines to grab this prospect? Will women electors rally around one of their own ilk? Will the indifferent ones shake off their lethargy and walk up to their polling booths? Will the people take that one final step forward? Will Mala Raj Laxmi be the first woman to be elected to Lok Sabha after the formation of the state of Uttarakhand?

The outcome would be known on 13^th October. If the people’s verdict is indeed historic it may well be that catalyst our state needs on its road ahead.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 02/10/2012)