Women power takes centre stage in electoral tug-of-war at Gujarat’s Banaskantha

Banaskantha (Gujarat), Apr 5: The political atmosphere in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district is charged ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

In a battle of two women, the Congress has fielded Geniben Thakor against BJP nominee Rekhaben Chaudhary from Banaskantha, a seat held by the BJP since the 2013 bypoll.

Geniben Thakor, the Congress’ sole female representative in the Gujarat Assembly, is known for her spirited advocacy of women’s issues and her ability to cut across party lines in the Legislative Assembly.

Thakor has also taken a novel approach to her poll campaign, initiating a political crowdfunding drive that encourages the voters to contribute to her nomination deposit with a starting point of Rs 11.

She also actively promotes a QR code on social media for campaign donations.

On the other hand, BJP’s Rekhaben Chaudhary also emerges as a significant contender, who is the only new female face in BJP’s first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat.

Hailing from a lineage of political and social prominence as the granddaughter of Banas Dairy founder Galbabhai Chaudhary, Rekhaben Chaudhary, an academic with a background in mathematics, brings her scholarly discipline to the political arena.