Ranchi, Dec 24 (Inditop.com) Eight women have been elected to the Jharkhand assembly this year, up from five in the last poll in 2005.
Out of the eight elected women legislators, three belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one legislator each belongs to the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress and Jai Bharat Samanta Party (JBSP). The three women legislators from the BJP are Vimala Pradhan, Menka Sardar and Kunti Devi who won the assembly seats from Simdega, Potka and Jharia respectively.
Vimala Pradhan is a first time winner. She defeated jailed ex-minister Enos Ekka and sitting Congress legislator Niel Tirkey.
Sudha Chaudhary has been elected as JD-U legislator from the Chattarpur assembly seat. Annapurna Devi, a RJD nominee has been re-elected for the third time from the Koderma assembly seat. Sita Soren, wife of late Durga Soren, has been elected from Jama assembly seat on a JMM ticket. Sita Soren is the daughter-in-law of JMM chief Shibu Soren.
Gitasree Oraon won from the Siasai assembly seat on a Congress ticket. Geeta Koda, wife of former chief minister Madhu Koda — now in judicial custody on graft charges — won from the Jagganathpur assembly seat. She won on a ticket of the JBSP, a party floated by Madhu Koda.
Five of the eight women have been elected for the first time. Geeta Koda, 26, is the youngest legislator elected to the Jharkhand assembly.
