There were 24 women candidates in the fray in Himachal Pradesh assembly polls but only one of them could win. The winner is none other than Reena Kashyap of the BJP, who defeated Payal Pyari of the Congress in Pachaad seat by 3857 votes.
In all, 412 candidates contested the assembly poll. The Congress had fielded three women candidates while the BJP put up six women contestants. The rest fought as independent candidates.
Six-time MLA Asha Kumari, Congress candidate from Dalhousie, lost the poll. Former MLA Surveen Chaudhary, BJP candidate from Shahpur constituency, lost the battle of ballots by a margin of 12243 votes. Kumari lost by 9918 votes. BJP candidate Shashi Bala from Rohru and Maya Sharma from Bars and Reeta Devi from Indora also lost the poll.
As many as 38 women were elected as MLAs in the past 75 years of independence in Himachal Pradesh. Only 197 women have run for office since 1977 as compared to 3,845 men. Parties still do not field many women candidates in the poll.
Himachal Pradesh has the second-highest literacy rate in the nation. 79 per cent of women voters cast their ballots in the 2017 election as compared to 70 per cent of male voters. In 16 important assembly seats women outnumber men, they never get elected.