DHARWAD: Considering that women voters form a big chunk of the electorate (49.25 per cent), the wives of prominent candidates have formed their own teams and are campaigning for their hubbies in Dharwad district.While in the past they used to conduct padayataras and distribute pamphlets seeking votes, this time around the spouses are armed with details about the achievements, plans and policies of the party represented by their husbands.Incidentally no party has fielded a woman candidate in any of the seven constituencies in the district.As per the final voter list, women voters outnumber men in Hubballi-Dharwad West. While there are 1,24,399 male voters, there are 1,24,980 female voters in the constituency (see box).The district has recorded polling by 63.86 per cent of women in 2013 elections while it was 64.37 per cent in 2008.Priya Desai, wife of BJP’s Dharwad Rural candidate Amrut Desai starts her campaign early in the morning with a batch of women party workers and visits villages where she speaks of the Narendra Modi government’s programmes like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Mudra, Jandhan, Fasal Bima Yojana and Ujwala Yojana.She does not forget to highlight the prominence given by the Modi government for construction of toilets in villages by providing special grants under Swaccha Bharat Abhiyan. Besides she is also exhorting women to cast their vote 12 without fail.Shivaleela Kulkarni, the wife of minister and Congress candidate Vinay Kulkarni is also aggressively campaigning for her husband who is seeking re-election in a constituency which has not returned a candidate twice consecutively since 1983.Shivaleela, who was active in education sector through Vaishudeep Foundation, speaks about the development works carried out by her husband. She is also highlighting the special programmes launched by Congress government in the state for rural women and girl students.In Hubballi-Dharwad West, sitting BJP MLA Arvind Bellad’s wife Smriti who is not from Karnataka but has studied in Dharwad is at ease mixing with people.Smriti’s poll plank is Arvind’s role in construction of interior roads, housing for the poor, establishment of IIT in Dharwad and the need to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi.An engineer by qualification, she has learnt to speak Kannada and tries to communicate with the people in the local language.Proornima Tamatgar, wife of Congress candidate Ismail Tamatgar in Hubballi-Dharwad West is telling women about the need to vote youngsters with a vision for development. She is highlighting Congress’ programmes for the poor and weaker sections.In Hubballi-Dharwad Central, Shilpa Shettar is a veteran in leading the campaign for her husband and former chief minister Jagadish Shettar.Having worked in five elections she knows the constituency very well. She speaks of BJP’s contribution to the development of Hubballi in last three decades and also her husband’s role in getting projects implemented.

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