HYDERABAD: Most woman candidates in GHMC polls this year are housewives. Breaking stereotypes, Shirisha, a BTech graduate in Electronics, is contesting from Nacharam division and interacting with voters during her door-to-door visits.
Shirisha, who has two children, says she entered politics to serve the people. After nominations were scrutinised, a whistle symbol was allotted to her. “Women should not be confined to cooking and maintaining the kitchen. She has to know the ground reality of problems by entering into politics to serve the people,” Shirisha told TOI.
A decades-old Patel Gunta Cheruvu was turned into a cesspool due to lack of official apathy and for the past 30 years, no efforts have been made to prevent sewage from entering into the lake. “My aim is to make the water body free of sewage and turn it into a mini Lumbini Park,” she says.
With the support of her husband Kranthi Kishore, who is well aware of local issues, she is contesting as an independent candidate to become a ward member.
Another housewife, M Pragathi, is contesting from Banjara Hills division. Although she had contested thrice in 2002, 2009 and 2016, she is again contesting for the fourth time as an Independent. “Nala desilting and widening, water problem in slum areas and sanitation are my focus areas. The recent floods due to overflowing nalas led to inundation of several colonies,” said Pragathi. A free symbol of cot was allotted to her by the returning officer.
A housewife, Padma from Red Hills, is trying her luck a second time. She had first contested in 2016, but was defeated with a narrow margin. Interacting with voters during a padayatra, she took note of various civic issues in her ward.
“Water problems and drainage woes still hant many and several slums do not even get potable water, even though the TRS government had promised tap water to every household. I will resolve these issues as a priority once I am elected,” said Padma.
Nearly 300 housewives in all 150 wards are in the fray and are trying their luck to resolve civic problems.