Women power has started surging ahead in Uttar Pradesh, following the reservation of seats in the urban municipal elections, scheduled to be held next month.
Women aspirants have already started lobbying for tickets to contest the mayor’s post in Lucknow—considered to be the most prestigious of all seats—and almost overnight, candidates have started emerging.
Wives, sisters and even mothers of political leaders have started putting up their applications and the political leaders are promising to ensure the victory of their female relatives.
The ruling BJP, expectedly, has the maximum number of aspirants for the Lucknow mayor’s post. Since the seat is slotted in the general category, women from all walks of life are clamouring for a the BJP ticket.
Leading the race in Lucknow is Mahant Divyagiri, the first woman head of the prestigious Mankameshwar temple. The 38-year-old Mahant is a graduate from Faizabad University and gave up her studies midway in the Indian Institute of Public Health and Hygiene in Delhi to don the saffron robes in 2008. Mahant Divyagiri, apart from performing her spiritual duties, is an active social worker and is frequently seen at events related to public service. With Yogi Adityanath already heading the state government as Chief Minister, a woman priest as Lucknow mayor is exactly what the spin doctors have prescribed for the BJP to push forward its Hindutva agenda in a discreet manner.
Among others making a bid for the ticket in BJP are former bureaucrat Rekha Gupta, Sanyukta Bhatia, former MP Kusum Rai and Ranjana Bajpai who recently quit the SP to join the BJP. Advocate Ranjana Dwiwedi is also a strong contender and enjoys the backing of VHJP and Bajrang Dal.
The Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, has an important claimant in Aparna Yadav, younger daughter-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav.
However, keeping in mind the family dynamics, SP president Akhilesh Yadav would not prefer Aparna as the candidate. His choice would be either Juhie Singh or Dr Madhu Gupta, both of whom are popular figures in the state capital.
The Congress has not yet started the process of short listing their candidates but party workers are keen that Alka Das, wife of late Dr Akhilesh Das, should contest the mayoral poll. Dr Akhilesh Das has been a former mayor. The BSP, meanwhile, will also weigh caste options before making its choice.