BJD To Reserve 33% Seats For Women In Lok Sabha Polls
BJD will issue tickets to women in at least seven of the 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on Sunday, 10 March, announced a 33 percent quota for women representatives of his Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, news agency ANI reported.
Patnaik made the announcement while addressing the Women Self Help Group’s Conclave - ‘Mission Shakti’.
The Odisha CM said:
“I would like to announce the ‘karma bhoomi’ of legendary Biju Babu, that Odisha will send 33 percent women to the parliament.”Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister, Odisha
Patnaik also called on national parties to follow up on their promises of empowering women.
At the Women’s self help group conclave, the Odisha CM also sanctioned Rs 1 crore for the Mission Shakti Bhawan in Kendrapara.
Patnaik had passed the proposal for 33 percent reservation for women in November 2018, in the parliament and State Assemblies. Though the proposal was supported by the BJP and the Congress in the State Assembly, they criticized it as nothing more than a political stunt.
The proposal has also garnered support from the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women.
The Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assemblies have already passed a resolution, calling on the Centre to uphold the provision Women’s reservation, ANI further reported.
(With inputs from ANI)