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Delhi Polls: Cong, BJP, AAP Field Just 19 Women Candidates

Delhi Polls: Cong, BJP, AAP Field Just 19 Women Candidates
NEW DELHI, INDIA JANUARY 29: BJP Chief Ministerial Candidate Kiran Bedi waves to voters during the campaigning for Delhi Assembly elections in the Geeta Colony Area on January 29, 2015 in New Delhi, India. Polling in Delhi will be held on February 7 and the counting of votes will take place on February 10. (Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
NEW DELHI, INDIA JANUARY 29: BJP Chief Ministerial Candidate Kiran Bedi waves to voters during the campaigning for Delhi Assembly elections in the Geeta Colony Area on January 29, 2015 in New Delhi, India. Polling in Delhi will be held on February 7 and the counting of votes will take place on February 10. (Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Assurances on women safety are galore in the national capital in the run up to the Delhi Assembly polls but when it comes to fielding women candidates, the major parties in the fray have fared poorly.

A total of 19 women candidates have been fielded by three major political parties in the contest- BJP, Congress and AAP in the election for the 70-member House.

BJP has given tickets to maximum number of women candidates for the February 7 polls including its Chief Ministerial nominee Kiran Bedi who is contesting from Krishna Nagar.

The party has fielded eight women including former Union minister Krishna Tirath from Patel Nagar, former DUSU presidents Rekha Gupta from Shalimar Bagh and Nupur Sharma from high-profile New Delhi constituency, Kiran Vaidya from Trilokpuri, Rajni Abbi from Timarpur, homoeopathy practitioner Nandini Sharma from Malviya Nagar and former South Delhi mayor Sarita Chaudhary from Mehrauli.

Close to BJP is the Aam Aadmi Party, which has fielded six women candidates including Rakhi Birla, Bandna Kumari, Saritha Singh, Alka Lambha, Pramila Tokas and Bhavna Gaur.

While Birla was the cabinet minister of Women & Child, Social Welfare and Languages in Delhi during AAP's 49-day regime, Bandana Kumari was elected as an MLA from the Shalimar Bagh constituency in last polls.

The least number of women candidates have been fielded by the Congress which has given tickets to just five women contestants.

The prominent names in the list include Kiran Walia, who is contesting from New Delhi Assembly seat against Arvind Kejriwal and President Pranab Mukherjee's daughter Sharmishta Mukherjee, who is contesting from Greater Kailash Assembly constituency.

Other women nominees of the Congress include Rita Shokeen, Meenakshi Chandela and municipal councillor Rinku.

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