Rewari: A statement made by Bimla Chaudhary during Haryana’s municipal election campaign has triggered fresh political debate in the state. Addressing an election rally in Rewari, the BJP MLA from Pataudi promised that if the party wins the civic polls, she would take responsibility for arranging marriages for unmarried young men in the area.
Campaigning for BJP candidate Vineeta Pippal, Chaudhary publicly said, “Vote for us and I will take responsibility for finding brides and arranging marriages for your young men.”
Reacting humorously from the stage, Haryana Health Minister Aarti Rao remarked that the MLA had now opened a “marriage bureau” in Rewari.
Later, while speaking to reporters, Chaudhary claimed that she had previously helped arrange marriages of several local men with women from Palwal and other districts.
Remark highlights Haryana’s gender imbalance issue
Although the statement appeared to be made in a lighter vein, it has once again highlighted Haryana’s long-standing social issue of skewed gender ratio and difficulties faced by many men in finding brides.
According to the 2011 Census, Haryana had only 879 women for every 1,000 men. The problem is considered particularly severe in districts such as Rewari, Mahendragarh and Jhajjar in southern Haryana, where many men aged between 30 and 40 reportedly struggle to find marriage partners.
Marriage issue has surfaced in Haryana politics before
This is not the first time the issue of marriages has entered Haryana’s political discourse. In 2014, senior BJP leader O. P. Dhankhar had sparked controversy after suggesting that brides could be brought from Bihar for unmarried men in Haryana.
Voting for the Rewari municipal council elections will take place on May 10, while the results will be declared on May 13. However, the controversial political promise has once again brought attention to the declining number of women in the state and the growing “bachelor crisis” in parts of Haryana.
