NCP backs Naveen Patnaik on reservation for women

Bhubaneswar: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s attempt of ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures has received the support of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

NCP president Sharad Pawar has written a letter to Mr Patnaik assuring the latter that the party will support the resolution regarding the reservation when it comes up in Parliament.

Mr Pawar also congratulated the Odisha CM for the initiative. BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik had earlier asked party’s ministers, MLAs and MPs to meet the leaders of national parties and 15 regional parties in this connection.

On December 4, the CM had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the latter to initiate the move to ensure the one-third reservation for women. He had also on December 6 written to chief ministers of all states seeking their cooperation to ensure the reservation for women.

Notably, the Women’s Reservation Bill, which proposes to amend the Constitution of India to reserve 33 per cent of all seats in the Lok Sabha and in all state legislative assemblies for women, was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014.

The BJD has been showcasing its drive for 33 per cent reservation for women as its commitment towards “women empowerment.” The opposition BJP and Congress, however, have criticized the move saying “it’s a drama on the eve of the elections.”

“It’s a drama all together. Will the BJD leadership and Odisha CM clarify if he has given 33 per cent reservation to women in his council of ministers. He must also explain to the people if he the BJD ticket holders in 2014 assembly and Lok Sabha polls had 30 per cent 33 per cent representation of women,” said BJP state vice president Sameer Mohanty.