Women Leaders Disheartened as Congress Gives Just 9 Assembly Tickets in Kerala

Congress leader Shama Mohamed has expressed concern over the under-representation of women in the party’s candidate list for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, urging senior leadership to take action. In a post on X, Mohamed highlighted that out of 92 Assembly tickets, only nine have been allotted to women. She added that of the 16 Lok Sabha tickets announced so far, just one has gone to a woman candidate.

Mohamed’s post, which emphasized both admiration and respect for party leader Rahul Gandhi, described the situation as “very, very sad” and called for stronger support for women candidates in Kerala. “Denied but not defeated. I respectfully urge my leader @rahulgandhi ji, whom I adore, respect, and admire, to support the Congress women of Kerala,” she wrote. She stressed that the low number of women candidates was disheartening, especially for talented women within the party.

Her remarks came a day after the Congress finalised its candidates for all 95 seats it is contesting in the state. Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan confirmed that 55 seats had been declared earlier, with the remaining 40 now finalised. “The selection process is over, and we will now focus on campaigning,” Satheesan said, signaling the party’s readiness for the upcoming elections.

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Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi attended a meeting of the Congress Central Election Committee in New Delhi, chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge. The meeting focused on organisational strategy and election planning for Puducherry. Ahead of this, Gandhi reiterated his support for the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, calling it representative of the people’s aspirations.

In his statement on X, Gandhi described the UDF candidates as a “strong team of experienced leaders and young change-makers” and emphasized the alliance’s connection to local communities. He added that the people of Kerala were seeking a government that listens and delivers with honesty, and affirmed his commitment to assisting the UDF in forming a future government.

As the Congress prepares for the Kerala Assembly elections, the debate over women’s representation in party tickets is likely to continue, highlighting ongoing concerns about gender balance and inclusivity in Indian politics. The final candidate lists reflect the party’s strategic priorities, but also underscore the challenges faced by women seeking leadership roles within mainstream political parties.

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