Only four of Bihar's women could make it to New Delhi
Only four of the 21 women contestants in Bihar have made it
to the 12th Lok Sabha.
They are Rita Verma from Dhanbad and Abha Mahato from
Jamshedpur, both of the BJP, and Rama Devi from Motihari and Malti
Devi from Nawada, both belonging to the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
While Rita, wife of Randhir Verma, a police superintendent who was
killed in an encounter, has been representing Dhanbad from 1991,
Abha Mahato, wife of Shailendra Mahato, the approver in the
Jarkhand Munkti Morcha case, wrested the seat from the RJD, defeating her nearest
rival, celebrated manager Russi Modi (Independent) by a margin
of 14,000 votes.
Rama Devi, Bihar Energy Minister Brij Bihari Prasad's wife,
wrested Motihari from the BJP's Radha Mohan Singh by
5,300 votes. Malti Devi, an RJD legislator, wrested Newada from the BJP.
In the 1996 election, only three among 41 women candidates were
elected to Parliament.
UNI
Elections '98
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