From Business to Politics; Run for ALL, Not for Self

Vijeta Verma, hails from Palamau, one of the richest districts of Jharkhand surrounded with several natural resources for which the state is known for; this has ignored the gender impartiality since long time consequently there seems hardly a women thought to perceive to be part of electoral democracy in a young age.

In other terms one finds the lack gender representation or, there is almost no representation of women in the region. While the census reveals that almost 30 percent women would have been into the recent time as far as their ratio is concerned, while their contribution is not less that the men unlike any geographia”.

Speaking to ‘The Garhwa Post’, she acknowledges the challenges that the women are facing in their all walks of life and stresses upon the region to which she belongs from core and that is none other than Daltongunj from where she contested in 2019 assembly election on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) symbol.

Vijeta Verma (35), an MBA graduate from one of premier institutes, did schooling from Palamau and to persue further education she went to the capital. She tried in business along with her kith and kin and it has substantially grown during the stint. But somehow she continues to contemplate about the larger objectives as how to have upliftment of underprivileged sections of the society; she added.

In a pursuance politics, one has to think through and all around; regardless to the association of community, gender, race etc to achieve the crux that is none other than welfare of everyone. And I joined the party politics just because to neutralise imbalance within. I perhaps the only at such age entered into electoral politics for state with conviction to bring the change in my constituency, though it will not be constrained to this alone. I shall starve to make things happen across the state. she remarked.

On being asked about why there is switch over from one to another political outfits; NCP to AJSU now. Vijeta Verma is of the view that, the ‘Will’ remain unchanged even after my switching to another. In politics survival is must to bring the change and the desire shall only met when you have alignment with the system which runs the state. My objective is to get the people onboard to make the differences.

For a state with a female population that is slightly lower than men in the state, and that of with the adjoining states like Odisha, Bihar, and West Bengal and a thriving democracy that prides itself on being robust and responsive, India has done rather poorly when it comes to female representation in national politics. The 16th Lok Sabha has only 64 women among its 542 members, a mere 11.8 per cent. While, the state has highly neglected to this as yet.

Quoting a proverb ‘One Swallow Doesn’t Make a Summer’, she says that the ‘Women’ are as ever underrepresented in the election fray and in party structures, but in many ways, most of them qualitative, they have never been as important as they are today.

Stressing the need of gender neutrality, she said that issue has come sharply into focus for some years now, partly because of the thwarted moves towards providing one-third reservation for women in legislative bodies including Parliament, along with the more successful moves to enforce such reservation in elections to rural panchayats. Of course, such an issue naturally becomes more apparent during a period of elections as well.

In the battleground of Indian politics, one demographic is ideally placed to change this disheartening statistic — working women. Having more professional women in office is a matter of both representation and capability. It is an opportunity to shape the future in a meaningful and impactful way.

Making the decision to run for office requires planning. It requires overcoming financial barriers, and it needs supportive partners and families. But think of the legacy that you would like to leave for your children. Your standing for an election could give your children the opportunity to grow up in a more inclusive society, and of that effect to make better decisions for all, she added.