With polling for gram panchayat elections in Himachal Pradesh scheduled for May 26, 28 and 30, a familiar pattern has once again emerged across several villages. Many women contesting elections from seats reserved for women are wives, daughters-in-law or close relatives of former pradhans and influential local leaders. Similar trends were visible in the recently concluded urban local body elections, where family members of sitting or former councillors entered the fray from reserved wards.
Legally, there is nothing preventing relatives of former public representatives from contesting elections. Yet, the trend has sparked an important debate over the real intent and impact of women’s reservation in grassroots democracy. Critics argue that in many cases, women are fielded not to encourage independent political participation, but to retain political influence within a family when seats become reserved for women.
The reservation of 50 per cent seats for women in panchayati raj institutions was envisioned as a transformative step toward political empowerment and inclusive governance. However, the emergence of “proxy candidates” has raised concerns about whether the spirit of the policy is being diluted.
According to Rajinder Chauhan, former professor of political science, the phenomenon continues to exist, though not as aggressively as in earlier years. He said socially influential and financially strong families have traditionally dominated village politics and are often reluctant to lose control over local governance structures.
“When a seat gets reserved for women, fielding a woman family member becomes a convenient way to retain political power within the household,” Chauhan observed.
At the same time, he believes the grip of powerful families on grassroots politics is gradually weakening. Increased education, awareness and political consciousness among economically and socially weaker sections have started challenging entrenched political monopolies.
“This section of society now wants a share in both economic and political power. If voters feel that a woman candidate is merely a dummy representative, resistance against such candidates is much stronger today than before,” he said.
Officials in the Panchayati Raj Department also admit that the problem persists at the ground level. A senior official, who has closely observed panchayat functioning over the years, said in many cases, elected women representatives function only nominally, while actual authority is exercised by male members of the family.
“There are departmental instructions clearly stating that pradhans should work independently without family interference. But in reality, these directions often remain confined to paper and male relatives continue to act as de facto pradhans,” the official said.
However, the issue is not entirely black and white. Former Shimla Zila Parishad chairperson Chander Prabha Negi believes political lineage alone should not disqualify a woman candidate. She argues that women who have been socially active or politically involved have every right to contest elections, irrespective of their family background.
“But if someone with no social engagement enters politics solely to keep power within the family, that defeats the purpose of reservation,” she said, adding that voters must exercise caution while electing representatives.
Supporters of the practice argue that democracy ultimately rests with the electorate. If people believe a candidate lacks competence or independence, they are free to reject her at the ballot box.
Still, the larger question remains unresolved — whether women’s reservation is creating independent political leadership at the grassroots level, or merely changing the face of power while leaving its control untouched.
