Bombay HC permits Transwomen to contest elections in women’s category

Mumbai: According to Bombay High Court, a transwoman candidate contesting a ward reserved for women can run for election as per her “self-perceived gender identity.

A single bench of Justice Ravindra Ghuge on January 2 allowed a petition filed by Anjali Guru Sanjana Jaan challenging the December 31,2020 order passed by a returning officer who rejected her nomination for contesting in Gram panchayat election in Jalgaon district.

The ruling cancelled an order that prevented the woman from contesting the reserved ward on grounds that it was not reserved for transgender candidates.

Anjali had chosen female gender and submitted the form to contest from a ward reserved for women’s category

However the form was rejected as the petitioner was a transgender and there was no transgender category in the present gram panchayat elections.

During the hearing, petitioner’s advocate A P Bhandari informed the court  that in Anjali’s lifetime, she would not switch over to male gender driven by opportunism and would continue to opt for female gender, in future.