It is still a man's world in the Haryana Assembly polls, with only 51 women candidates -- most of them either having the backing of a political family or celebrity status -- being fielded by frontline

Since the formation of Haryana in 1966, only 87 women have been elected to the assembly, and none have served as chief minister. In this year's election, a mere 51 women are contesting, most of whom are either backed by political families or hold celebrity status.

According to Haryana Vidhan Sabha records, in the five assembly elections beginning in 2000, a total of 47 women have become legislators in the state, notorious for its skewed gender ratio -- 916 female births per 1,000 males in 2023.

Haryana's assembly elections feature a predominantly male political landscape, with only 51 women candidates nominated by major parties. Since 1966, the state has elected just 87 women to the assembly and has yet to have a female chief minister.