The recent Panchkula Municipal Corporation elections in Haryana have once again started a discussion about women’s political representation in India. Although seven wards were reserved for women candidates, many people noticed that male relatives and political associates were still playing the main role during campaigns and even after the election results.
Women’s reservation in local elections was introduced to increase women’s participation in politics and help them become decision-makers. The idea behind the quota system is to give women more opportunities to lead and speak for their communities. However, in several reserved wards in Panchkula, male family members appeared to remain the real political faces while the elected women candidates stayed in the background.
The issue became more visible after election results were announced. In many cases, male relatives answered questions from reporters, handled supporters and led victory celebrations while the women winners stood quietly beside them.
The seven wards reserved for women included wards 1, 2, 11, 15, 16, 18 and 19. Some of these wards were reserved for women from general categories, while others were reserved for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes.
Many winning women candidates were first-time contestants with little or no previous political experience. At the same time, several of their husbands or close relatives had earlier served as councillors or political workers in the same areas.
One of the most discussed examples came from Ward 18, where Amandeep Kaur won the election. During the victory rally, however, former councillor Sandeep Singh became the centre of attention. He was seen standing in an open jeep with supporters while Amandeep Kaur reportedly did not even get a place in the vehicle.
After the results were declared, it was Sandeep Singh who answered questions from the media. He later said he had political experience and would help guide Amandeep Kaur in her work.
He explained that since the seat was reserved for women this time, Amandeep Kaur was chosen as the candidate. He also described her as his sister and said she would lead while he would support her.
Similar situations were seen in several other wards as well. In Ward 1, Paramjeet Kaur won the election. Her husband, Narinder Pal Singh, had earlier served as councillor from the same ward. Paramjeet Kaur, who works as a dentist, admitted she had no previous political experience before contesting the election.
She said she decided to contest because the seat was reserved for women and she did not want her husband’s hard work over the last five years to go to waste. She also said she would make decisions herself, while her husband would only assist if needed.
In Ward 15, Priyanka Kundlas also entered politics after the ward became reserved for women. She said her husband had originally planned to contest the election but could not because of the reservation rule.
Priyanka explained that she was not previously involved in politics but had now developed an interest in public issues and wanted to help solve local problems.
Ward 19 winner Manisha Rani was another first-time candidate. Her husband Ashish Jangra had earlier shown interest in contesting elections himself. Similar patterns were noticed in other reserved wards too.
Observers pointed out that almost every winning female candidate appeared with a male spokesperson on result day. However, male candidates were rarely seen depending on female relatives in the same way.
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Critics say this reflects a larger social issue where women are formally given positions of power but often continue to work under the influence of male family members. Some political experts believe many women candidates become “proxy representatives,” where male relatives indirectly continue controlling political decisions.
However, some political leaders disagree with this criticism. BJP district president Ajay Mittal defended the women candidates and said they should not be called proxy candidates.
According to him, many of these women have already been active in social and political work in their local areas. He said political opportunities given by family members can also help women learn leadership skills and gain confidence over time.
He pointed out that some women winners already held positions inside party organisations and had experience working with people at the local level.
Political experts believe the issue reflects deeper social attitudes that still exist in Indian society. Professor Pampa Mukherjee from Panjab University explained that patriarchy has been deeply rooted in society for generations and has influenced politics as well.
She described the situation as a paradox. On one hand, reservation gives women an opportunity to enter politics. On the other hand, social structures often continue to keep men in dominant positions.
According to her, women’s reservation is an important step towards equality, but it must be implemented in a meaningful way. Women should not only win elections but also get the freedom and confidence to make independent decisions.
Experts believe many women entering politics for the first time may initially depend on their families because of lack of experience or social pressure. However, over time, some may gradually become stronger leaders and gain their own political identity.
Supporters of reservation policies argue that even if women initially enter politics with family support, the opportunity still matters because it increases women’s visibility in public life. Exposure to governance, public meetings and decision-making may slowly encourage greater independence.
At the same time, critics say real empowerment will only happen when women themselves lead campaigns, speak directly to voters, handle public responsibilities independently and become recognised as leaders in their own right.
The Panchkula election results have once again highlighted both the progress and the challenges of women’s political participation in India. While more women are entering elected positions because of reservation policies, the debate continues over whether they are truly getting equal power or simply representing existing male political networks.
For many observers, the larger question remains whether political reservation alone is enough, or whether deeper social change is also needed to ensure women can fully exercise leadership without remaining in the shadow of male relatives.
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