3 debutantes among women candidates

MUMBAI: The BJP, Congress, National ist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena have given tickets to only two women contestants each in the state.
TheSena is the only party among them which is opposed to 33 per cent reservation for women. Union minister and BJP candidate Jaywantiben Mehta (Mumbai-south), veteran Congress leader Prabha Rau (Wardha), the Sena’s Bhavna Gawli (Washim) and the NCP’s Nivedita Mane (Ichalkaranji) are seeking reelection from theirconstituencies.Former MP Suryakanta Patil (Hingoli) is contesting on an NCP ticket.
There are three prominent first-timers. CM Sushilkumar Shinde’s wife Ujjwala (Solapur), former chief minister Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar’s daughter-in-law Rupatai (Latur) and Kalpana Narhire (Osmanabad) ,who are contesting on Congress, BJP and Sena tickets respectively. While the first two have entered active politics solely to contest the elections,Narhire has been the Sena MLA from Kalamb constituency in Osmanabad district for the last ten years. This seat is so important to the Sena that its chief BalThackeray addressed a rally there two days ago. Interestingly, none of the prominent women candidates are taking on a woman rival.
All their opponents are men. Although amajority of the women candidates this time comprise independents and will have only a marginal electoral presence, some of them are quite well-known.
For example, Janata Dal (Secular) rebel Vidya Chavan is contesting from Mumbai north against petroleum minister Ram Naik and film star Govinda.
In Mumbai, half-a-dozen women candidates have plunged into the electoral fray. Except for Mehta and Chavan, the rest are independents like Anita Naik in Mumbai north, who floated her own ‘Nari Shakti Party’ just before the elections to make her presence felt.