Husbands take oath in place of 6 women panchayat representatives in Chhattisgarh
Kawardha (Chhattisgarh), Mar 4 (PTI): The husbands of six newly elected women panchayat representatives (panches) allegedly took the oath in place of their wives in a village in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham district, prompting the authorities to order a probe.
The alleged incident occurred on Monday in the Paraswara village panchayat in the Pandariya development block.
A video of the swearing-in of the panchayat representatives in Parswara village surfaced on social media on Tuesday, following which the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Pandariya janpad panchayat was asked to probe the matter, said Ajay Tripathi, CEO of Kabirdham Zilla Panchayat.
He said action will be taken based on the probe report.
The official said representatives elected in the recently held three-tier panchayat polls were sworn in during their first meeting in their respective areas on Monday.
According to officials, of the 11 ward panches elected in the Parasrwara village panchayat, six were women, while the sarpanch was a man.
The husbands of these six women panches and the other elected representatives were sworn in by the panchayat secretary.
In the video, all male members can be seen taking oaths.
Locals and social activists termed the incident a mockery of women's empowerment and demanded stern action against the guilty.
If no concrete action is taken, it will set a wrong example and may lead to further such incidents, they said.
Notably, BJP MLA Bhawna Bohra represents the Pandariya assembly constituency.
कवर्धा जिले के ग्राम पंचायत परसवारा में सचिव की बड़ी लापरवाही सामने आई है। जहां पंचायत चुनाव में 7 महिलाएं चुनाव जीतकर पंच बनीं, लेकिन जब शपथ लेने की बारी आई तो उनके पतियों को शपथ दिला दी। @KabirdhamDist @DPRChhattisgarh @ChhattisgarhCMO @BJP4CGState @INCIndia pic.twitter.com/oYoAokvcCs
— Haribhoomi (@Haribhoomi95271) March 4, 2025
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
