Prabha Mallikarjun finally makes Davangere electoral debut

NT Correspondent

Davangere: Coming from a political family and canvassing for Congress candidates for two decades and more in the past elections here, Prabha Mallikarjun is making her electoral debut in this Lok Sabha constituency.

And interestingly, for the first time, Davangere will see a contest between two women -- Prabha is taking on BJP's Gayathri Siddeshwara.

Once a Congress stronghold, the BJP has been winning the seat since 1999.

The 48-year-old Prabha, a dentist, is the wife of District in-charge Minister S S Mallikarjun and daughterin-law of veteran Congress leader and Davangere South MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa.

Gayathri is the wife of four-time MP and former union minister G M Siddeshwara.Irrespective of who wins, Davangere will get its first woman MP.

Prabha said that if elected, her top priority is health, education, employment, irrigation and drinking water issues.

She is also keen on working towards women self-empowerment, establishment of handicraft industries, and encouraging home-based products.

"Every party has its own issues on which we build our political narrative. In Karnataka, especially, we have the Congress guarantee schemes which have worked really well. It has been pro-women..," Prabha said.

"We want to work to improve hospital services and availability of ambulances. I also want to focus on mental health aspect of women, so at primary health centres, we want at least one day in a month dedicated to mental health issues in women," she told PTI in an interview.

On how difficult is it for women in politics, she said, "Women have 33 per cent reservation, but then these women have to express their opinion. They need not stand behind the men, their husbands. You have to actively come forward...We need women's voice because women are 50 per cent voters in every constituency. She added, "Being a woman, I can definitely address their issues -- focus on their mental health aspect, their financial independence, education, skill development and giving them their due respect ".