Will Soumya Reddy make history as Bengaluru’s first woman MP ?

Bengaluru: Silicon city Bengaluru has never elected a woman MP, this time Congress’s Soumya Reddy wants to make history by contesting the Lok Sabha elections.

The 41-year-old Soumya Reddy, who served as an MLA from Jayanagar, is no stranger to politics. She contested last year’s assembly elections and lost by a margin of just 16 votes. Then in this Lok Sabha election, BJP MP from Bangalore South Constituency is contesting against Tejaswi Surya.

Bangalore South is a BJP stronghold. Late HN Ananth Kumar, who served as Union Minister, represented this constituency for six consecutive terms from 1996. Despite this, Congress leader and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s daughter Soumya is not disturbed.

Bengaluru South is spread over eight assembly constituencies and in the 2023 assembly elections, the BJP won five and the Congress won three. Soumya Reddy said that people are upset and disappointed with the incumbent MP (Surya) in the last five years. They alleged that he was not available to the people of the constituency and did not speak on behalf of Karnataka in Parliament.

Soumya, who is confident of winning this election, people have seen her work as an MLA. He said that people are very happy with the government led by Congress and Siddaramaiah. On the challenges faced by women candidates, she said it is a patriarchal world and that’s why she got into electoral politics. She said there is a need for women’s representation. He said that people, party workers and elected representatives have given a lot of support.

We have never had a woman MP from Bengaluru and we are sure that you will do justice to your work as an MP, so we definitely support you. People are also welcoming me freely. Being the son or daughter of a prominent leader can benefit any candidate to a certain extent. But at the same time, he said, people look at a candidate and see if they are mature and competent.