Puducherry: A few women are in fray in Puducherry, which goes to polls on April 13. Except DMK, BSP and BJP, no other political party -- including the ruling Congress, has fielded any women candidates.
Of the total 187 contestants spread over the 30 segments, there are only six women aspirants in the fray.
DMK, which was allotted 10 seats in its seat-sharing exercise with Congress, has fielded a woman in Neravy-TR Pattinam in Karaikal.
BJP, which is going it alone, has fielded women nominees in two constituencies -- Uzhavarkarai and Kadirkamam. BSP, which is also going it alone, fielded women nominees in Oussudu in Puducherry and Tirunallar in Karaikal.
Malladi Udhayalakshmi, wife of Revenue Minister Malladi Krishna Rao, is among the 10 contestants in Yanam. While she is contesting as an independent candidate, her husband (Congress) is bidding to retain his seat in Yanam for the fourth time in a row.
Rao claims his wife has always been a co-contestant in the Assembly polls and that her presence in the fray was more due to sentiment than to pose a challenge to him.
Congress, which is contesting 17 seats after striking an alliance with DMK, has not fielded any woman candidate. The All India NR Congress (floated in February by former chief minister N Rangasamy) has also not fielded women aspirants in any of the 17 segments it is contesting. Nor has AINRC ally AIADMK fielded any woman in the 13 seats it is contesting.
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