With 14 women emerging victorious in the recently conducted municipal elections in Salt Lake, councillors cutting across political divide agree that women have proved themselves absolutely capable and deserving.

“People have a natural faith in women because they are honest and have the determination and the right attitude to do some good work,” says Meenu , Trinamool Councillor from Salt Lake’s Ward 22 and a veteran in politics since 1972.

“But yes, for a woman, the competition is tougher,” she adds. “Everyone wants to test her capability in every way before entrusting her with any duty. But we pass with flying colours.”

Revamping the drainage system in her ward and setting up lines for drinking water are her first priorities.

She coyly admits that though she was actively involved with the Congress and had even been a part of Indira Gandhi’s Guard of Honour in 1976, she decided to join Trinamool Congress ¿ against the wishes of her father ¿ only for Mamata Banerjee. “I joined as a soldier in Didi’s party, because I was moved by her ideology and indomitable fighting spirit.”

The fact that women have come out and have won in a lot of places, does not mean the fight was easy.

“My ward and Rebecca Banerjee’s wards were red forts, but , we won by sheer good work,” says Chameli Naskar, Trinamool councillor from ward no 1.

Apart from solving the huge drinking water problem, Naskar wishes to set up municipal hospitals and primary schools in her ward. “I have plans to set up some self-help projects, so that women of the area become self-reliant,” says Naskar, who was a councillor when the first municipal board was formed in Salt Lake in 1995. She is credited with bringing electricity and water, and developing roads in an area which had nothing at the time.

Ira Nandy, the Left Front councillor from Ward 17, echoes the Trinamool women.

“It has been proven time and again that women are far less corrupt,” she says. “Also they have proven that they are very capable through their good work in panchayats and municipalities.”

A retired headmistress of Saptagram Girls’ High School, Nandy thinks if a party loses once after ruling for 34 years, it is nothing to raise a hue and cry about.