Maharashtra assembly elections 2024: Ladies’ list grows in Assembly race

Shaina N C (Mumbadevi) and Shraddha Jadhav (Wadala)

Women's representation in the Assembly election has increased this time, at least in terms of the number of candidates from major political parties. In 2019, only 11 women contested, with five winning seats as MLAs. This year, 16 women candidates from all major parties are vying for a place in the Vidhan Sabha.

According to candidate nominations, there are 16 women contesting across 15 seats in Mumbai's 36 constituencies. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded three women candidates - Manisha Chaudhary, Bharati Lavekar and Vidya Thakur - all sitting MLAs from the Western Suburbs.

IN PHOTOS: Women representation increases across Mumbai in the upcoming Maharashtra Elections 2024

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In the last election, Congress fielded three women, with Varsha Gaikwad, daughter of former MP Eknath Gaikwad, winning her seat. This year, Varsha Gaikwad was elected as MP from the North Central constituency, and now her sister, Dr Jyoti Gaikwad, is Congress's sole woman candidate. Contesting from Dharavi, Jyoti recently reverted to her maiden name, Gaikwad, from Girigosavi.

Shiv Sena is fielding four women candidates, including Yamini Jadhav from Byculla, who won the last election; her husband, Yashwant Jadhav, is a prominent Shiv Sena figure. The party has also nominated Manisha Waikar, wife of parliamentarian Ravindra Waikar, for the Jogeshwari East seat.

Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded three women, including Rutuja Latke, the widow of Ramesh Latke. Ramesh was elected from Andheri East in 2019. After his passing, Rutuja won the 2022 bypoll. Pravina Morajkar and Shraddha Jadhav, both former Mumbai corporators, are also contesting.

The Nationalist Congress Party has given a ticket to Sana Malik, daughter of Nawab Malik, the Mumbai president of the Nationalist Congress Party. Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar has also fielded Rakhee Jadhav, a three-term corporator from Ghatkopar, and Sangeeta Vaje.

The MNS has granted a last-minute entry to Trupti Sawant, wife of the late Bala Sawant, a former MLA from Bandra East. Trupti won the 2015 by-election on a Shiv Sena ticket, defeating former Chief Minister Narayan Rane. She ran as an independent in 2019 and lost against then-Congress leader Zeeshan Siddique, who is now with the NCP (Ajit Pawar).

In 2019, a total of 11 women contested, with five winning seats. All of them, except Varsha Gaikwad, who is now an MP, are contesting again in 2024.

Lok Sabha contest

Earlier this year, an unprecedented 17 of Maharashtra's 48 Lok Sabha constituencies witnessed electoral battles involving women candidates. Seven women candidates, including NCP-SP's Supriya Sule, emerged victorious. In the 2019 general election, in Maharashtra, 11 women - mostly from political families - were in the race and eight went on to become MPs.

11
No. of women who contested in 2019

Prominent women candidates in 2024

Shiv Sena (SS)

Yamini Jadhav (Byculla); Manisha Waikar (Jogeshwari East); Suvarna Karanje (Vikhroli); Shaina N C (Mumbadevi)

BJP

Manisha Chaudhary (Borivli); Vidya Thakur (Goregaon); Bharati Lavekar (Versova)

Shiv Sena (UBT)

Rutuja Latke (Andheri East); Pravina Morajkar (Kurla); Shraddha Jadhav (Wadala)

NCP-SP

Sangeeta Vaje (Mulund); Rakhee Jadhav (Ghatkopar East)

Congress

Jyoti Gaikwad (Dharavi)

MNS

Trupti Sawant (Bandra East); Snehal Jadhav (Wadala)

NCP

Sana Malik (Anushakti Nagar)