Electoral Politics and Women: With a Special Reference to Manipur, India.

ABSTRACT

An election is a formal decision making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Regular election serves to hold leaders accountable for their performance and permit an exchange of influence between the governor and the governed. As a result of the male dominated socio political structure, women are not getting proper space in the electoral politics of Manipur as a part of the Indian union. In almost all the elections, parliamentary as well as state legislative assembly, women voter outnumbered male voters in the state of Manipur. But upto 1990 no woman MLA was elected in Manipur. They have been contesting the election through different political parties and as independent candidates. But the rate of political participation is so high in the state. This small paper is an attempt to discuss about the value of electoral politics in a democratic country and the real position of women in the electoral politics of Manipur along with their nature of political participation.