I7 women candidates in fray in Delhi

Seventeen women candidates are aspiring to enter Parliament from the national capital which has nearly 4.9 million women voters.

 While the main political parties BJP and Congress have given a ticket each to a woman candidate, 15 others are contesting on tickets from regional parties or as independents from all the seats.

A total of 160 candidates are in the fray whose fate will be decided by a total of 4.8 million women and 6.1 million men voters who would cast their votes during the polling on May 7.  

Except in 1996 and 1998 general elections when a record two women candidates, Sushma Swaraj from BJP and Meira Kumar from Congress achieved the distinction of entering Parliament, Delhi has sent only one MP in Parliament and sometimes none.  

Delhi, which has participated in 13 Lok Sabha elections, sent its first woman to Parliament when freedom fighter Sucheta Kriplani won from New Delhi seat on Krishak Majdoor Praja Party ticket in the first Lok Sabha poll in 1951, and then in 1957 on a Congress ticket.