Chandigarh, May 3 -- In Punjab's political theater, where the electorate boasts a near-equal gender split, the stage is set for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections to unfold amidst a glaring absence of female contenders. Despite women making up a formidable force at the ballot box, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has curiously opted not to field a single woman among its 13 parliamentary hopefuls for the 2024 elections.
In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has bucked the trend by nominating three women candidates out of nine declared thus far; while the Congress, too, has embraced gender diversity with two women candidates, albeit both on reserved seats. Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has doubled down on its trust in three-...