JD(S) plans to field women candidates in 30-35 seats in 2023 polls: HD Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said the party plans to field women candidates in at least 30-35 constituencies for the 2023 assembly polls in Karnataka.

He also said the party wants to give priority to committed women workers in the organisation work and strengthen its women's wing. "We want to field more women candidates this time (2023 polls), in minimum 30-35 seats (out of total 224) we want to field, we are identifying constituencies. In the first phase (of identifying candidates) we have identified six to seven women," Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said it is the desire of our party patriarch H D Deve Gowda to field about 30-35 women candidates. "So through the ongoing workshop we want to build confidence among women workers and ensure that they get more and more involved in party organisation work in their respective constituencies. It has been decided to give more priority to women," he added.

Kumaraswamy was speaking on the sidelines of ongoing "Janata Parva 1.0", a four-day workshop for party leaders near here, aimed at bringing it to power in 2023, near here. Expressing confidence about JD(S) coming to power on its own, the former chief minister had set a target of winning at least 123 seats in the 2023 Assembly polls.

Conceding that JD(S) was lagging behind in giving more representation for women in party organisation work or strengthening women's wing, Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said the party will rectify this, by identifying committed women workers and giving them responsibilities and opportunities to work from the booth level. He also said that on coming to power the party will make all efforts to fulfil Deve Gowda's incomplete agenda of giving 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies, from Karnataka.