Sonia Gandhi Likely To Lead Congress In Women's Reservation Bill Debate

Sources suggest that Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is likely to be the primary speaker for the Congress party during the Women's Reservation Bill debate in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Lok Sabha is scheduled to discuss the Women's Reservation Bill, which proposes a 33 percent quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, during its ongoing special session.

A heated dispute has emerged between the Congress party and the ruling BJP over credit for introducing the bill in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. The Women's Reservation Bill has stirred controversy in the opposition ranks, with the Congress labeling it as an "election promise" and emphasizing the necessity of releasing the 2021 census data before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congress leaders have noted that it could take several years for the reservation to become effective, with LoP Malliarjun Kharge pointing out that a similar bill came close to passing in 2010.

In response to the bill, Sonia Gandhi, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, asserted, "What about it? It's ours. Apna hain." She made these comments while arriving at Parliament for the historic joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in the newly inaugurated Parliament building.

According to insider information, the Union Cabinet endorsed the Women's Reservation Bill on Monday, which proposes a 33 percent quota in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. The bill was cleared in a crucial meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury expressed the party's desire for the swift introduction and passage of the Women's Reservation Bill. He highlighted that the demand for the bill was initiated by the UPA and Sonia Gandhi.

Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications, welcomed the Union Cabinet's decision and emphasized the party's longstanding demand for women's reservation. He suggested that a consensus could have been reached through open discussions in the all-party meeting before the special session, instead of resorting to behind-the-scenes politics.

The Women's Reservation Bill proposes reserving one-third of seats for women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies. This reservation will cease to exist 15 years after the commencement of the Amendment Act.

In 2008, the UPA government, led by Manmohan Singh, introduced the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, where it passed in 2010. However, it was never taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha.