BJD to give 33 per cent Lok Sabha tickets to women

Bhubaneswar: MAROdisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday announced to send at least 33 per cent women to Lok Sabha by giving maximum number of tickets to female candidates.

Party supremo and chief minister Naveen Patnaik made this announcement during the Mission Shakti convention in Kendrapara.

Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha seats. The BJD had won 20 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls while one seat – Sundargarh – went to  Bharatiya Janata Party.

With this announcement, BJD is likely to field around 8 candidates in the ensuing polls to the lower house in the parliament.

“Odisha will show the nation the way towards women empowerment. This announcement will create history across the nation,” Mr Patnaik said in his address.

“In 2012, your government had made 33 per cent reservation for women in Panchayatiraj institutions. In a first, the state government last year had passed a resolution on 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and Assembly. I had sent a proposal to all the political parties and chief ministers in this regard. I announce from the historic land of Kendrapara that 33 per cent women will represent Odisha in Parliament.” Mr  Patnaik

Around 2 lakh women from Self Help Groups (SHGs) had congregated at Siddha Mahapurusha Ground located in Baro village under Kendrapara tehsil.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra mocked at the CM’s announcement saying it was an election period gimmick.

“Naveen Patnaik’s council of ministers does not have 33 per cent reservation. Even his women and child development minister is not a woman. The BJD chief’s announcement is just a political stunt,” said Mr Patra.