INDIA Bloc to Vigorously Pursue Implementation of Women’s Quota Bill, Says Sonia Gandhi
Chennai, October 14: Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi affirmed that the opposition alliance, known as the INDIA bloc, will actively champion the implementation of the women’s reservation bill during her address at a Women’s Rights Conference in Chennai. The conference was organized by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), an ally of the Congress in Tamil Nadu.
Sonia Gandhi recalled her party’s tireless efforts to introduce the bill and expressed the INDIA bloc’s commitment to pursuing its implementation. While the bill has been passed in parliament, Gandhi acknowledged that it still faces significant challenges before becoming law.
The women’s reservation bill seeks to reserve one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India’s parliament) and state assemblies for women. It received parliamentary approval last month. However, the bill’s enforcement is contingent on the delimitation exercise, which is currently postponed until 2026. This exercise necessitates conducting a new census. The Congress party has contested this provision and urged the expeditious implementation of the legislation.
Gandhi credited her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for introducing the historic 33 percent reservation for women in the Panchayati Raj, which led to a transformative surge of women leadership at the grassroots level. She highlighted this achievement as a significant precursor to the reservation of one-third of legislative seats, which the Congress championed within parliament and beyond.
Acknowledging the considerable progress made, Sonia Gandhi emphasized that despite the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, there is still a lengthy journey ahead for its implementation. She reaffirmed the INDIA bloc’s unwavering determination to fight for the bill’s enactment, stating, “We are going to fight for it till we eventually get that whether you men like it or not.”
Gandhi also paid tribute to former Chief Ministers C.N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi for laying the groundwork for remarkable transformations in women’s status and opportunities in Tamil Nadu. She commended the state as a symbol of gender equality and women’s advancement.
Furthermore, Sonia Gandhi praised the Tamil Nadu government’s initiatives, such as mid-day meals for students and the promotion of women’s empowerment through education. The Women’s Rights Conference in Chennai witnessed the participation of prominent women leaders from the INDIA bloc, including Priyanka Gandhi, Mehbooba Mufti, and Supriya Sule, among others.
