City voters in Hyderabad have always supported the ruling party, but now there is growing dissatisfaction among women from the middle-class sections. In 2018, this section openly supported the ruling party, but now they are keeping quiet.
During an interaction with women from various backgrounds, it was found that homemakers and working women were unhappy with the government. They feel that in the past nine years, the ruling party has not done anything for them. While the government has focused on providing freebies to the poorer sections, the middle-class women feel neglected. They pay taxes regularly but continue to face difficulties.
The prices of commodities have increased, but the government has not provided any relief. It has also not agreed to reduce the state share in petrol and diesel prices. This time, the women voters will consider the candidate rather than the party when deciding whom to vote for.
Another woman, Padma, a senior lecturer, expressed a similar view. She believes that there are very few women candidates in elections, and unless their number increases, they will not have a voice in male-dominated political parties. She hopes to see the stance of each party on this issue.
Sowjanya, a software engineer, is tired of false promises made by her MLA. In the past nine years, they promised to construct flyovers, lay new roads, and improve drainage pipelines, but nothing has been done. She feels that some activities have only started recently as an election stunt and may stop once the polls are over. She also criticizes the ruling party for not implementing schemes like the Mudra loan scheme in Telangana due to their rivalry with the central government.
Prashanti, a women entrepreneur, believes that Hyderabad may be better than other states in certain aspects, such as having SHE teams for women’s safety. However, she feels that women leaders, both at the local level and as ministers, lack freedom. Ministers cannot make independent decisions, and women Sarpanchs are not allowed to work independently either. Prashanti prefers a leader who can bring about a change in this situation.
