Transgenders get political space this poll season

The ensuing Lok Sabha polls have brought a ray of hope for transgenders with many from their community being roped in by several political parties for various posts.Sonali Dalvi, a transgender activist who was recently appointed general secretary of Congress women's wing, Pune, told ANI on Wednesday, "Our voices will get amplified if given a political platform. There is a dire need to get the transgender community inducted into the mainstream."

"I will work hard to get things done for my community. It is sad that even now we do not have people who can resolve our problems which we face in the society," Dalvi said.Echoing similar sentiments, Chandni Gore, the newly-inducted deputy president of the Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Pune women's wing, said that she aimed at resolving issues faced by the community.

"I have chosen NCP because of Supriya Sule (NCP MP). She is the only MP who raised our issues in Parliament for getting us justice," Gore told ANI.

Avinash Bagave, the city president of Pune Congress, said, "My party has always felicitated equality. In the past, we had inducted Apsara Reddy as general secretary of AICC women's wing. And now in Pune, we have so many transgenders working in different party positions."Last week, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had said that it will be fielding Kajal Nayak, a transgender, from the Korei seat for the upcoming Assembly polls in Odisha.

Nayak, a social worker from the Jajpur region, had said, "I am happy that BSP has decided to give me a ticket to contest the polls. I approached many political parties earlier, but no one entertained me. I am thankful to the BSP for showing faith in me and in the transgender community." Nayak is also the president of Transgender Association of Jajpur and has been working for transgender rights as well as on local issues.