Congress leader Shashi Tharoor expressed strong support for enhanced representation of women in elections while addressing concerns about the limited number of tickets allocated to female candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls. Tharoor’s comments came in response to a statement by his colleague, Shama Mohamed, who criticized the party’s candidate list for lacking women. Tharoor, who serves as the Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, acknowledged the imbalance in representation relative to the population demographics, emphasizing the need for women’s reservation in the political sphere.

Winnability Factor Discussed

During his remarks, Tharoor acknowledged that various factors influence the distribution of candidate tickets, one of which is the “winnability” criterion. He pointed out the disparity where women constitute nearly half the population but hold only 9.8 percent of the assembly seats. “It is unfair that women are underrepresented,” he stated. Tharoor clarified that decisions regarding candidate selection are made by others within the party, and he does not participate in this process. Nonetheless, he indicated that those responsible likely considered all relevant factors, guided by the winnability principle.

Future Prospects with Women’s Reservation

Tharoor expressed optimism that implementing women’s reservation would transform the landscape of political representation. “Once women’s reservation comes into effect, it will provide a fair opportunity for more dedicated female leaders,” he said. The introduction of such a measure, according to Tharoor, would end debates surrounding the need for higher representation and allow hard-working women leaders to emerge more prominently in the political arena.

Shama Mohamed’s Plea for Change

In a related development, Shama Mohamed called attention to the minimal representation of women in the party’s candidate roster, urging party leader Rahul Gandhi to take action. In a recent post on X, she noted that only nine of the 92 tickets were allotted to women. Mohamed also referenced the previous Lok Sabha elections, where a mere one woman was among the 16 candidates contested in Kerala. “Denied but not defeated,” she wrote, advocating for more support for women leaders from the state unit.

Congress Finalizes Candidate List

The Congress party has recently finalized its candidate list ahead of the elections. Leader of the Opposition, VD Satheesan, announced that the party has confirmed all 95 nominees, having previously disclosed 55 candidates and completing the selection of an additional 40. This comprehensive candidate selection process precedes the elections set to take place in a single phase on April 9, with counting scheduled for May 4.

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