Maharashtra: Congress chief Nana Patole dubs Women's Reservation Bill 'election jumla'

Nana Patole. File Pic

The Maharashtra Congress, led by its chief Nana Patole, has criticized the recent approval of the "Women's Reservation Bill" by the BJP-led Central government, labeling it as yet another "election jumla" and a "betrayal of women's hopes."

In a strongly worded statement, Patole expressed his skepticism about the government's intentions, stating, "The Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) Central government has approved the Women's Reservation Bill in the Cabinet meeting. This bill will now be presented in the Lok Sabha. However, considering the BJP's history, it looks like the Women's Reservation Bill will turn out to be yet another election 'jumla'. Looking at the bill's content, it appears to be nothing more than an event management, with no substantial provisions in it. Even if the Women's Reservation Bill becomes law, its implementation for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections seems unlikely. The Modi government has misled millions of women in the country."

Patole went on to highlight the practical challenges surrounding the bill's implementation, emphasizing that it may not be feasible in time for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "Before implementing the 33 per cent women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, a census is necessary, and the Modi government has not conducted the one due in 2021 yet. This law can potentially be enforced only after the delimitation of constituencies, which is now scheduled for 2026. The real question to be asked now is whether there be a census and delimitation before the 2024 elections. Looking at the current situation the implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill will not happen anytime soon," he added.

Patole also drew attention to the historical context of women's reservation in politics, mentioning former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's initiative to introduce 33 per cent reservation for women in local self-government institutions. He noted that during the UPA government, the Women's Reservation Bill received approval in the Rajya Sabha under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh, with Sonia Gandhi's consistent advocacy. However, he expressed doubts about the BJP's commitment to women's issues and reservations, suggesting that their recent efforts might be primarily driven by electoral considerations. "Keeping in mind the upcoming elections and to garner the support from the 50 per cent of the population represented by women, the Modi government has made this effort, and it seems that they have introduced this bill mainly for electoral purposes," Patole said.