Says women’s reservation is for all women, not any single party
Sharply responding to Nagaland Pradesh Mahila Congress (NPMC) allegations over women reservation issue, the Nagaland BJP mahila morcha asserted that the ongoing debate over the 33% women’s reservation bill had been “unnecessarily” politicised by the opposition.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of a programme here Thursday, state BJP mahila morcha president Tsachola Rothrong described the criticism from Congress as a “natural outcome of political opposition.” She said any initiative — whether good or bad — was bound to face contestation in a democracy.
She maintained that the women’s reservation bill was not a party-specific agenda but a landmark step aimed at empowering women across all political affiliations. “This 33% reservation is not for BJP alone or any particular party. It is for all women of the country,” Rothrong asserted. She expressed confidence that women across party lines would ultimately benefit from the legislation.
Responding to Congress’s claim of having introduced women’s reservation through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments under then prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, Rothrong acknowledged the historical contribution but pointed out that those provisions never materialised into a parliamentary law.
She attributed the earlier delay to lack of adequate political majority and technical hurdles. “Today we have the numbers, and I believe our leaders will ensure that women’s representation in decision-making bodies increases” she said,” she said.
On the question of timing and alleged delay since 2014, Rothrong remarked that legislative processes required both political will and numerical strength, terming it a “political-technical” matter.
She said that policy decisions and political timing often overlap in a democracy.
Regarding delimitation and its impact on Nagaland, Rothrong said the exercise would be carried out across the country and could benefit the state. “From initial estimates, Nagaland may get two Lok Sabha seats. More representation means more developmental funds and better coverage,” she stated.
Asked whether the proposed seats would be reserved for women, she clarified that the 33% quota would be determined through “mathematical and political calculation,” adding that not all seats would necessarily go to women. “It could be one male and one female, or otherwise. We will have to wait”, she added.
Rothrong declined to comment on whether the 33% reservation would be implemented in the forthcoming FNTA elections scheduled for 2027, saying it was outside the scope of the current discussion.
She concluded by stating that irrespective of political debates and timing, the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill remained a welcome and historic development for women across the country, and all political parties would eventually benefit from it.