Winnability factor of Women Power emerges in Punjab, Haryana

Rashmi Talwar
Patriarchal factors that have held back women in Punjab and Haryana (a part of Greater Punjab ) as a doormat for far too long, are now forced to take a close look at the fairer sex in a commanding role. Women scored a six out of seven in these two states making a clean sweep for the Member Parliamentary positions with the electorate of this Punjabi and Haryanvi belt firmly behind them.
It was a close call for Santosh Chaudhari (Cong) from Hoshiarpur who trounced the BJP’s Som Nath a bureaucrat turned politician with a margin of just 366. But a win it certainly was. In Patiala the might of the Shromani Akali Dal (SAD)was behind Badal Bahu Harsimarat Kaur Badal with her husband the deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal , father –in-law Parkash Singh Badal and the whole of the political kin and clan of Badals camping in Bathinda . She has emerged with a whopping margin of 1,11,556 votes riding on the wave of “Nanhe Chaun” a politically motivated social cause for saving the girl child from femicide and the green cover of trees. She beat Raninder Singh son of former Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh. But then it is no secret that the Badal family rules the roost and calls the shots as the ruling government in state , who blatantly used state machinery to bring another Badal to power.
Interestingly, both the lowest and highest margin win is by women candidates in Punjab.
On the other hand Parneet Kaur wife of Capt Amarinder Singh too bagged the coveted seat of Patiala with a rollicking margin of 97,389 defeating Prem Singh Chandumajra a two time MP. This is a hatrick by the erstwhile ‘Maharani’ of Patiala.
Parmjeet Kaur Gulshan (SAD)a lesser known candidate till she won in Faridkot also beat a hand –picked candidate of Rahul Gandhi-- Sukhwinder Singh Danny of congress. She shrugged off the outsider tag that followed her throughout her campaigning and convinced Faridkot that she was for them scoring a margin of 62,042 from her nearest rival.
Similarly in Haryana the petite Kumari Shelja (congress ) defeated Roshan Lal Kataria (BJP) in Ambala 14,570 while the refreshingly smart Shruti Chaudhary (cong) roared with a convincing margin to rub her rival in the dust Ajay Singh Chautala (INLD) son of three times former CM Hayana Om Parkash Chautala. She won by 73,097 from Bhiwani in Haryana.
However Sudha Yadav (BJP)from Gurgaon was the sole loser amongst the top candidates.……