Mumbai: State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shaina N.C. on Thursday said that she was upset and appalled as most of the leading political parties, including her own, had not given adequate representation to women in the Lok Sabha elections.
Praising West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik for giving 41 and 33 per cent seats to women candidates, respectively, she said that all other parties needed to wake up as they were only paying lip service to women’s causes.
Shaina in her statement attacked all parties in state including the BJP for not giving candidature to women in the Lok Sabha election. She said, “All parties need to wake up.” Of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in state, only 13 women fielded by prominent parties are in the fray.
In a statement issued here, Shaina said, “Ability requires opportunity. Talent needs to be showcased. Leadership across the board needs to give more women politicians a chance for us to prove our electoral competence.”
“What is worrisome is that we are still having dialogues and discussions on the most basic rights that any human being should be entitled to. That’s why, a 33 per cent reservation must be a collective, concerted, conscious effort of all women in public life,” she said.
She vowed to champion the cause of reservation and said that she will do it even if she has to fight the male chauvinistic mindset in her own party and all other parties.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson and women’s wing chief Chitra Wagh agreed with Shaina that women had not been given enough seats. “Women don’t show interest in the Lok Sabha elections. They are more interested in contesting local body elections. But NCP always thinks of elective merits and according to that, we give the ticket. NCP is demanding 33 per cent reservation bill for women. Other parties are not supporting it. If we accept reservation, every party will automatically give candidature to more women.”
Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said, “Shiv Sena has more women in the party. We give more opportunity to women. The party gives women an opportunity to work in a field in which they can perform.”
Political expert Abhay Deshpande said, “It is not because women are not interested in contesting the Lok Sabha elections. Political parties are not willing to give seats to women. In the election process, women’s participation has increased but not representation. They don’t want even the reservation bill to get passed. We need to think on it.”
