ABSTRACT
This chapter begins the discussion on the narratives from the JMC parshads and parshad-patis. The multiple governing arrangements illustrated within the narratives are categorized as: parshad-pati arrangements, cooperative arrangements, and independent actors. In parshad-pati arrangements, the husband or father has nearly completely taken over the responsibilities of the parshad and pushed her to the side. In cooperative arrangements, the parshad works in collaboration with her husband or father in order to effectively manage the time-consuming responsibilities inherent in the elected position while also balancing significant familial and professional responsibilities on the side. Finally, the independent actors are parshads who have shouldered the responsibilities of the office primarily on their own. These types of arrangements are then exemplified in the chapter using the narratives themselves, with a focus on ten parshad-patis. These stories illustrate common themes: lack of parshad agency while in office, exploitation by men of the gender quota, and communal pressure to run for office. Overall, this chapter demonstrates that actors seek political gain by pushing uninterested women family members with very little public experience to run for office. Their husbands or fathers then manage their campaigns and conduct the office, although this new experience can kindle an interest for the parshad in pursuing politics more independently.
