Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Congress candidate from Belagavi (Rural) assembly constituency in Karnataka, Lakshmi Hebbalkar said on Friday (April 28) that it is not easy for women to climb the political ladder fast. She wants a woman to become Chief Minister or Deputy Chief Minister in the state in the near future.
Assembly elections are to be held in Karnataka on May 10 and Hebbalkar has entered the fray with the intention of winning for the second time. His political rival and BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi is trying to ensure his defeat.
A struggle to make a career in politics
Hebbalkar and Jarkiholi were once considered close associates of each other. But, soon after Hebbalkar was elected MLA in 2018, the rivalry between the two leaders started and their rivalry reached its peak during the Belagavi District Cooperative Bank elections in 2018. It is said that Jarkiholi was angered by the alleged interference of Congress’ Kerala unit president DK Shivakumar in the politics of Belagavi. Later he left Congress and joined BJP.
Talking to ‘PTI-Bhasha’ in this regard, Hebbalkar said, “Jarkiholi is only doing his party’s work. There is nothing personal in this. I never take it that way. I am completely confident and comfortable about this election.” She said that making a career in politics for women is a struggle and women leaders have to work harder than men to reach their goal.
‘Want to see a woman leader as chief minister’
Hebbalkar said, “Even if we reach the top, we are looked down upon.” The Congress leader said that in a patriarchal society, it is common to cast aspersions on a woman’s character. She said, “Such allegations are often baseless and made with the intention of discouraging women leaders. I have faced such allegations throughout my career and it hurts me at times.
The Congress leader said that there are many women leaders in Karnataka politics who have good leadership potential and there are many capable women leaders in the Congress as well and I would like to see a woman leader as Chief Minister or Deputy Chief Minister in the near future. Asked if she wanted such a position, the Congress leader said, “There is a long way to go, I need to do a lot of work. I am not going to do long jump. I believe in going slow and steady.”
No woman CM in Karnataka yet
Karnataka has never had a woman chief minister so far. There is a possibility of a triangular contest in the Belagavi (Rural) assembly constituency. There is a close fight between the candidates of Congress, BJP and Maharashtra Integration Committee. BJP has fielded Nagesh Mannolkar from Belagavi (Rural). At the same time, the Maharashtra Integration Committee has given ticket to its activist RM Chougule, who is also a real estate businessman.
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