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 With the stage all set for the assembly election, and final plans are being made among the political parties on selection of candidates, curiosity looms large over whether female candidates get a chance to fight the election against their male counterparts, at least this time.

All the five constituencies in Chikmagalur district have always witnessed fight between male candidates, with rarely any female candidates getting an opportunity to fight from prominent political parties. In fact, even the women candidates who have contested independently in the past elections, too were not favoured by the voters.

Though three women candidates from the Congress have been elected as the MLAs long ago from Chikmagalur and Mudigere constituencies, voters never favoured women candidates in Sringeri, Kadur and Tarikere constituencies.

It could be recalled that, freedom fighter B L Subbamma from the Congress who had contested in 1952 and 1962 elections was elected as the MLA from Chikmagalur constituency. Iva Vaz from the Congress who had contested from the Chikmagalur constituency, is another lady to win the election in 1972. She had also occupied the position of Food and Civil Supplies Minister during the rule of Devaraj Urs. However, no women candidated was elected from Chikmagalur after the formation of Chikmagalur constituency in 1972. The constituency has witnessed eight elections since then.

MLC Motamma is the third woman to be elected as the MLA from the district. Congress woman Motamma, had contested in Mudigere reserved constituency in 1978, 1989 and 1999 and had emerged victorious all the three times. Presently, she is the ticket aspirant from Mudigere or Sakaleshpur reserved constituency.

Another woman political leader D K Tharadevi Siddharth who was elected as the MP in 1984 and 1991, is trying to contest from Sringeri constituency in the upcoming assembly election.

B L Subbamma’s daughter T Sridevi was given ticket from Chikmagalur constituency from the BJP in 1994, Rekha Huliyappa Gowda from Birur in 2004 polls, Anuradha (JDS) from Kadur constituency and Mamatha as independent candidate from Tarikere in 2008, are the only few women who have tried their hands in the earlier assembly elections.

When Motamma had contested in 1994 from Mudigere (reserved), she had to face competition from two more women candidates namely Kamalamma from the Congress and Jayalakshmi who was an independent candidate. One Chandramma had contested independently from Kadur.

It could be noted that, Mariyamma from ADMK was the last woman candidate to contest from Chikmagalur constituency in 1999. In the 2008 polls, neither BJP, Congress nor the JD(S) gave tickets to any women candidate. In fact, the political leaders have made no mention about giving tickets to women candidates even during the upcoming polls. There is no example of the parties like the JD(S), CPI(M) and BSP giving opportunity for women to contest the polls.

As for as this election is concerned, only two women, Motamma and Tharadevi seem to be hard core ticket aspirants.