In a remarkable shift during the Uttarakhand three-tier panchayat elections, women have not only secured victories on reserved seats but have also made strong inroads on unreserved positions. This trend reflects a growing political confidence and grassroots influence among women across the state.
In district panchayats, considered the most significant and challenging posts in local governance, women won 10 out of the unreserved seats — a major leap from previous trends where their presence was largely limited to reserved constituencies. Out of the total 358 district panchayat seats, 171 were claimed by women candidates.
Among 7,499 gram pradhan seats (excluding 18 vacant posts), many women emerged victorious from unreserved constituencies. Similar patterns were seen in kshetra panchayat (block-level) and ward member elections, where women succeeded even in open categories.
From the nomination phase itself, women showed strong participation. Out of 63,569 total nominations, 37,356 were submitted by women, accounting for nearly 59% of all candidates. Notably, significant entries came from Scheduled Tribes (2,401 women), Scheduled Castes (11,208), and Other Backward Classes (4,532).
For 358 district panchayat seats, 1,885 nominations were filed — 931 by women. In kshetra panchayat elections, women filed 6,221 out of 11,478 nominations for 2,974 posts. For gram pradhan posts, women accounted for 12,510 out of 21,912 nominations. Similarly, for 55,587 gram panchayat member posts, 17,694 nominations came from women.
This election has proven that women in Uttarakhand are not just contesting where they are expected to — they are stepping forward and winning where they weren’t even guaranteed a spot.
