Woman in fray, hubby her trump card

SONEPUR: A woman heads the country and another the ruling Congress party at the Centre while yet another presides over the Lok Sabha. And all three scaled the heights because of their mettle and not of their respective hubbies. The State Government reserved 50 per cent seats for women in PRIs seeing that they  are yet to catch up with their counterparts in other states. An initiative that will translate into success if the women themselves take the lead, said an expert. Here is a paradox. A three-tier panchayat candidate banks on her husband’s popularity to win at the hustings. So much so that she has put up his picture on the campaign materials. Much is said about women empowerment, but not much has changed at the grassroots. Women candidates are in fray but it is the men __ from their family or party __ who call the shots. Ulunda case is a pointer. The woman candidate for Ulunda Zone II Zilla Parishad, Mitali Mahakur, has preferred to put up the picture of her husband on her campaign banner. This has exposed the role of women or lack of it in the PRIs. Not just banners, even other publicity materials dotting the area have photos of her husband, Radhakanta Mahakur. Cocking a snook at women empowerment, the publicity materials introduce her as wife of lawyer Radhakanta and urges people to vote for Mitali. Sonepur District Congress Committee president Ashok Pujari defended Mitali saying Radhakanta is quite popular. She has preferred to use the picture of him to cash in on his popularity. Whither women empowerment!