Latest news with #Women'sReservationBill
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Assembly, LS polls may be held after delimitation exercise: Ex-MP
Hyderabad: Former MP and BRS leader B Vinod Kumar has predicted that the Telangana assembly elections in 2028 and the Lok Sabha elections in 2029 will be held with enhanced seats after the delimitation of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He also said that women's reservation will be implemented in the next elections. Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan on Saturday, Vinod Kumar dismissed rumours that there would not be a delimitation of seats in Telangana in the wake of the Supreme Court's dismissal of a petition seeking the delimitation exercise in the state on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. As per the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, the Telangana assembly seats should be increased to 153 from the present 119, while AP seats to 225 from the current 175 seats. "As per Article 170 sub-clause 3 of the Constitution, the delimitation exercise should be taken up in 2026. The SC dismissed the petition filed by one Purushottam Reddy a couple of days ago. But SC delivered the judgment as per Section 26 of the AP Reorganisation Act, subject to the provisions of Article 170," the ex-MP said. In the AP Reorganisation Act, instead of 'subject to' it should have been 'notwithstanding' to take up the delimitation of seats in both Telangana and AP 10 years ago. This issue was brought to the notice of the then UPA govt and also the Modi govt, but it was not taken up by both the govts, Vinod Kumar said. On women's reservations in legislative assemblies and Parliament, the BRS leader said the Women's Reservation Bill was passed in both Houses and would come into effect only after the completion of the Census.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Vana Mahotsavam 2025 launched to plant 18 crore saplings in Telangana this year
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reaffirmed his government's strong commitment to women empowerment and environmental protection as he launched the Vana Mahotsavam 2025campaign at the Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) campus in Hyderabad on Monday (July 7, 2025). The ambitious green initiative aims to plant 18 crore saplings across the State this year, he said while echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent appeal to citizens to plant a sapling in the name of their mother. He urged women, especially mothers, to plant trees in their children's names as well. 'If we nurture trees like our own children, Telangana will become a complete Green Zone. Nature will protect us if we take care of it,' he said. 60 Assembly tickets to women Referring to his government's commitment towards women empowerment, he assured that the Congress party would allocate 60 Assembly tickets to women candidates in the next elections. His assurance comes in the wake of reports that the Women's Reservation Bill will be implemented in legislative bodies by the next election cycle providing 33% seats to them. Mr. Reddy termed his government as 'People's Government' and explained the series of initiatives the government has taken to uplift women in rural and urban areas. He noted that ₹21,000 crore loans have been provided to women self-help groups (SHGs) this year while the women also enjoy free bus travel cross Telangana. He recalled how the government supported women's groups to operate and own 1,000 RTC buses as part of an innovative public-private partnership. He also recalled exclusive marketing platforms for women entrepreneurs in Hyderabad's Hi-Tech City, enabling them to showcase products to multinational companies and empowering women by assigning them roles in managing solar plants and government schools. The Chief Minister also announced the expansion of women SHGs into urban areas and reiterated the State's goal to make one crore women millionaires under the 'Indiramma Rajyam' vision of inclusive growth. Earlier, he planted a sapling of Rudraksha at the University premises to launch the Vana Mahostsavam. He also visited the photo exhibition. Minister for Forests, Konda Surekha; Advisor to the government Vem Narender Reddy; MP Mallu Ravi; MLA Prakash Goud and Whip in the Council Patnam Mahender Reddy and PJTAU Vice Chancellor Aldas Janaiah were among present. Later, the Chief Minister left for New Delhi where he will meet Union Ministers seeking clearances and funds for various developmental projects in the State.
Hans India
05-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
BJP likely to get first-ever lady boss
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party may be on track to appoint its first-ever woman national president, with names like Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP's former Andhra Pradesh unit chief D Purandeswari and Tamil Nadu MLA Vanathi Srinivasan among the probable frontrunners, according to reports. The BJP has been going through a major organisational rejig, with the appointment of new chiefs for the local units of six states and Union Territories. With that over, the party is now focussing on appointing a new national president replacing JP Nadda, a process that has been delayed for various reasons. Nadda's term as the national president of the BJP ended in January 2023, but the party extended his tenure to guide it during the Lok Sabha elections last year. He has been holding the post since 2020. The BJP has been experiencing success in influencing women voters in recent years. Women voters have played an important role in BJP's victories in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi. The party also ensured that the Women's Reservation Bill, which seeks 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, was passed in both houses of Parliament in 2023. The appointment of a woman as the president of the party could send the right message to the electorate, the ruling party feels. It is also reported that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has given its approval to the idea of appointing a woman president for the BJP. The parent organisation realises the strategic and symbolic importance of having a woman leader for the party. Given the difference of opinion between the two entities before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and certain statements by JP Nadda, the BJP would feel the need for the RSS to be on the same page in making this important decision. Front runners Nirmala Sitharaman: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is seen as a strong contender for the post of national president. She has been the Finance minister since 2019 and was previously the Defence minister. She has strong roots in the party, and is seen as one with wide experience and leadership potential. Sitharaman recently had a meeting with the present national president Nadda and party general secretary BL Santhosh at the BJP headquarters. Another factor in her favour is that she is from Tamil Nadu, a state where the BJP is keen to make a breakthrough. D Purandeswari: Daggubatti Purandeswari is the daughter of NT Rama Rao, the former chief minister of the undivided Andhra Pradesh and the founder of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). She is a former president of BJP's Andhra Pradesh unit and is presently a Member of Parliament representing the Rajahmundry Lok Sabha constituency. She was also part of the multi-party delegations that visited various countries after Operation Sindoor. Purandeswari is fluent in five languages and is a Kuchipudi dancer. Vanathi Srinivasan: Also from Tamil Nadu, Vanathi Srinivasan is currently the national president of BJP's Mahila Morcha. She has been a part of the party since 1993 and became a member of the BJP's central election committee in 2022. In 2021, she won the Coimbatore (South) assembly seat, defeating actor Kamal Haasan, the founder of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM). A lawyer by profession, Vanathi has held several positions in the BJP, including state secretary, general secretary, and vice president of the Tamil Nadu party unit.
United News of India
30-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
RJD creating false impression on Waqf Board Act for Muslim votes: BJP's Samrat Chaudhary
Patna, June 30 (UNI) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Samrat Chaudhary said today that the RJD was trying to create a false impression in order to get Muslim votes in the state assembly elections to be held in October-November this year. Chaudhary said that new Waqf Board Act was introduced for protecting the rights of poor Muslims but RJD was trying to mislead them to get minorities' votes in the Bihar assembly elections. "RJD has nothing to do with interests of Muslims and the party is only trying to get maximum votes from them in the upcoming assembly elections," he added. The Deputy Chief Minister said that RJD leaders had torn copies of the Women's Reservation Bill in parliament when the erstwhile Vajpayee government had placed it in the House. The Narendra Modi government had ultimately got it passed in both Houses of parliament, he pointed out. Chaudhary said that there was complete lawlessness in Bihar during the RJD regime and a large number of businessmen were forced to migrate to other states of the country. Even girls used to get frightened while going to college and people used to remain behind closed doors after sunset, he pointed out. "The Nitish Kumar government has given 50 percent reservation to women in Panchayati Raj institutions and 35 percent reservation in government services, making them empowered," the Deputy Chief Minister said, adding that the cycle and uniform schemes rolled out by the government helped in greater enrollment of students in schools. Pasmanda Muslims had also been given reservation in government services in Bihar, he stated. UNI KKS RN
India.com
28-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
BJP's ‘Nari Shakti' Rhetoric Faces Leadership Test Within Party
New Delhi: In Indian politics, slogans often do the heavy lifting. 'Nari Shakti', the BJP's rallying cry for women's empowerment, has been a consistent part of its electoral pitch, development agenda, and cultural messaging. From schemes like Ujjwala Yojana to the push for the Women's Reservation Bill, the party has repeatedly projected itself as a champion of women's rights. However, despite years of promoting 'Nari Shakti' as a key electoral plank and cultural identity, the Bharatiya Janata Party today finds itself in an uncomfortable position, lacking a strong, popular pan-India woman face in its top leadership or newly formed cabinet. While the Modi cabinet has seven women ministers, none of them enjoys pan-India popularity like Sushma Swaraj or other former women leaders of the party. This apparent disconnect between rhetoric and representation hasn't gone unnoticed. This gap has raised eyebrows among political observers, and as the 3.0 Modi-led government takes shape, a critical question arises: Where are the women? A cabinet without prominent women "Nari Shakti" is a powerful slogan, but slogans don't substitute for representation. The absence of prominent female leadership highlights how women are still perceived more as support systems than leaders within the party. This is not a new pattern. The BJP fielded around 16% women candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a modest improvement, but still far short of the 33% goal it has publicly endorsed. Despite a strong base of women MPs (31 out of the BJP's 240 in the 18th Lok Sabha) and growing female participation in election campaigns and grassroots politics, few women are elevated to positions of national political visibility or decision-making authority. As per several analysts, parties field women candidates in either safe or hopeless constituencies, rarely in the crucial battleground seats. Women are mobilized during elections, but not groomed for leadership. Experts feel the BJP's Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Act was a mere eyewash, promising 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, but delivering a paltry 31 women MPs in 2024, a stark decline from 42 in 2019. Experts say this is a part of a broader pattern where women are mobilized as voters and campaigners, especially in welfare schemes and outreach initiatives, but are not empowered as political decision-makers. This paradox, between women's increasing political visibility and their absence from actual leadership, has drawn criticism. Political Analyst Sandeep Choudhary said, "Making Droupadi Murmu the President of India, a tribal woman from a humble background, certainly sent a message to the world. But let's not mistake representation for empowerment. Women do not become empowered merely by holding symbolic positions. Real empowerment demands structural change; women must be given real power in legislative assemblies, in ministries, in administrative authority, and in decision-making bodies where their voice is not just present, but heard and acted upon." "Women's participation in politics should not be conditional upon the will or generosity of men. As long as male leaders continue to decide which woman should get a ticket, whose voice should rise, and who should be sidelined, empowerment will remain a distant dream. Women must be allowed to rise through their merit, their strength, and their vision, not based on what role the male leadership assigns them. Until then, this will not be true empowerment, but controlled representation," he further added. "Look at Smriti Irani, she is articulate, bold, and deeply connected to the ground realities. Yet after her defeat, she vanished from political prominence. In contrast, men like Pushkar Singh Dhami and Keshav Prasad Maurya were made Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister despite losing. This inconsistency shows that women are still viewed as exceptions, not equals," Choudhary further highlighted, adding, "Today, the BJP governs many states across India, yet how many women do we see as Chief Ministers? Just one, and that too, a recent appointment of Rekha Gupta in Delhi, after the fall of the AAP government. If women truly matter in politics, why are they missing from the top posts across the country? You cannot talk about Nari Shakti while structurally excluding women from leadership roles." Experts feel that when capable women are ignored, it sends a message to the next generation of women that their rise will always depend on factors beyond competence. "Slogans like 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' and 'Nari Shaktikaran' are powerful, but they must translate into policies, opportunities, and representation. Until a woman can rise from the Panchayat to Parliament without systemic bias, until her ticket isn't decided by the male high command, and until her defeat isn't treated as final while men are resurrected, true women's empowerment will remain a distant ideal," he concluded. Ground-level mobilization, but no elevation To be fair, the BJP has effectively mobilized women at the grassroots, using self-help groups, local welfare schemes, and women-specific subsidies to cultivate strong female voter bases. In states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, women played a decisive role in the BJP victories. Initiatives like the Ladli Behna Yojana and targeted welfare programs have built immense goodwill among women voters, especially in rural India. BJP has mastered the art of symbolism when it comes to women, but that mobilization has not translated to genuine political inclusion. Women are present on the ground, not in the room where decisions are made. This dissonance, women as voters versus women as leaders, is now becoming too stark to ignore. Reports also say that women's representation is far lower than in many other democracies. The few women who do make it are typically from politically privileged families. Senior Journalist Rahul Lal slammed the BJP, saying, "The BJP's actions suggest that women's empowerment is not a priority for the party, and that the Nari Shakti slogan is merely a publicity gimmick." Making his views stronger, Rahul Lal added, "Women have been marginalized in every matter in terms of representation, and it's not an exaggeration to say that the BJP's Nari Shakti slogan has been a mere facade. The BJP could have given more tickets to women, but they didn't, and as a result, women's representation in the party has taken a hit. The Saffron party's promises of women's empowerment have turned out to be empty promises, with no substance or action to back them up." Regional contrast and missed opportunities Regional parties have offered a different model. In contrast, parties like the TMC, BSP, and even Congress have put women front and center. Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are household names. Meanwhile, the BJP, a party with a national presence and deep organizational machinery, lacks any woman who occupies a similar national leadership space today. What must change Experts feel that for the BJP to credibly claim the mantle of 'Nari Shakti,' it must: Elevate women into the party's highest decision-making bodies, including cabinet committees and national executive posts. Field women candidates in winnable constituencies and train them for long-term leadership roles. Move beyond symbolism, giving women policy authority, not just campaign responsibilities, and promote internal mentorship and leadership pipelines, especially from grassroots to national politics. Time for structural empowerment The BJP's messaging around "Nari Shakti" has undeniably reshaped how women voters see politics, as something accessible and participatory. But turning that participation into real representation requires more than slogans. Until women are given real power, not just portfolios but policy-shaping authority, the gap between narrative and reality will continue to grow. In an era where optics matter, substance matters more. The question is no longer whether the BJP can mobilize women. It's whether it is ready to be led by them.
