In a state, infamous for its skewed sex ratio and patriarchal attitudes to women, this dedicated tribe of campaigners has plunged into the heat and dust of electoral politics.
Behind
most successful male politicians in Haryana,
particularly if they belong to the Chautala, Bishnoi and Hooda clans
that have dominated the political scape, is a mother, wife or
daughter-in-law working hard at canvassing for votes to ensure the
family legacy is intact.
In
a state, infamous for its skewed sex ratio and patriarchal attitudes
to women, this dedicated tribe of campaigners has plunged into the
heat and dust of electoral politics ahead of the elections on May 12.
The
women, some of them MLAs, may not be at the centrestage in this Lok
Sabha election but have been quietly working behind the scenes to
ensure their sons, husbands and fathers-in-law are voted to power.
For
Renuka Bishnoi, politics runs through the generations. She is a
Congress MLA from Hansi but has multiple identities in a largely male
dominated political space -- daughter-in-law of former chief minister
Bhajan Lal, wife of three-time legislator Kuldeep Bishnoi and mother
of Bhavya Bishnoi, who makes his electoral debut as the Congress' Lok
Sabha candidate from Hisar.
"I
don't just go with him for canvassing. I meet people on my own to
cover as much area as possible. I can freely meet and interact with
women voters and ask them to make an informed decision," Renuka
Bishnoi told PTI.
Naina
Chautala, the first woman from the Chautala clan to take to politics,
is campaigning for her sons Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Chautala,
who are contesting from Hisar and Sonepat, respectively. They parted
ways with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) following a family feud
and formed the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP).
Naina
Chautala, whose husband Ajay Chautala and father-in-law Om Prakash
Chautala are currently in jail in connection with a teacher
recruitment scam, believes family background helps but work matters
more.
"We
come from an influential political family. Yes, there has been a feud
and we now have different ideologies but voters make their choice on
the basis of work done in their areas," said Naina Chautala, who
has addressed over 50 rallies in the state so far.
Then
there is Asha Hooda, wife of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh
Hooda and mother of Deepender Hooda. While her husband is the
Congress' candidate from Sonepat, her son is the party's contestant
in Rohtak.
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