Himachal: Only three women elected to LS polls till date, just two in fray this time
New Indian ExpressSHIMLA: Only three women have made it to the Lok Sabha from Himachal Pradesh in the past 72 years and this time, just two are in the fray. "Women from humble background rising high in politics and carving a niche for themselves is still a big challenge in the country and Himachal Pradesh is no exception. At present, women constitute about 49 per cent of the total voters in the state but representation is not even one fourth and this is a cause of serious concern," said Ramesh Chauhan, head of the department of political science at Himachal Pradesh University. According to Kamal Manohar Sharma, who also teaches political science at Himachal Pradesh University, the status of women has been high in the state and even before reservation for women was introduced, women pradhans were elected in Mandi, Kinnaur and Kangra districts.