Women’s Reservation Push Gains Momentum: Shobha Karandlaje Announces Awareness Drive Ahead of Parliament Session
Bengaluru: Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje announced that a Parliament session will be held to take forward the implementation of women’s reservation, stating that a large-scale awareness campaign will be conducted over the next 10 days to educate women about their rights under the Nari Shakti Vandan initiative.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP State Office in Bengaluru, she urged all political parties to support and accept the Women’s Reservation Bill. She expressed hope that the legislation would pave the way for identifying and fielding capable women candidates from diverse professional backgrounds.
Karandlaje credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking decisive steps toward women’s empowerment, noting that the demand for women’s reservation had existed for decades but faced repeated hurdles. She recalled that when the Bill was discussed in Parliament years ago, it faced strong opposition, including incidents where copies of the Bill were torn.
She criticised the previous UPA government for failing to move the Bill forward during its 10-year tenure, stating that meaningful progress on women’s empowerment has been achieved only after Narendra Modi assumed office. She highlighted that women-led governance at the grassroots level in Karnataka, particularly in gram panchayats, has delivered notable results.
Responding to questions, the Minister said that political parties are likely to give preference to sitting representatives when allocating tickets, but stressed that efforts must begin now to identify new women leaders.
Taking a swipe at the Congress, Karandlaje alleged that the party views every issue through an electoral lens. She questioned Mallikarjun Kharge’s stand on the Bill, asking whether the opposition is against the legislation itself or merely against its discussion at this stage.
She further accused the Congress leadership of adopting a selective approach towards women’s representation, claiming that the party historically opposed or delayed the Bill while projecting support. She remarked that opportunities for women should extend beyond a few prominent leaders and called for a broader, inclusive approach.
Meanwhile, BJP Mahila Morcha State President C. Manjula announced statewide campaigns in support of the Bill, including signature drives and missed-call campaigns. She said the campaign will begin in KR Puram under the leadership of Shobha Karandlaje and will expand across districts, along with press conferences and rallies involving youth wings.
Senior BJP leaders, including Malavika Avinash, Rupali Naik, and party spokesperson Surabhi Hodigere, were also present at the press conference.
About the Author
