Women’s Reservation Bill: Rahul Gandhi once Offered PM Modi his “Unquestioning Support”

The Union Cabinet has presented the long-delayed Women’s Reservation Bill, a constitutional amendment that will guarantee a reservation for women in state and federal legislatures. Congressman Rahul Gandhi’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which discussed providing ‘unconditional support’ for the Bill, gained media attention.

The UPA Government failed to pass the Bill in the Lok Sabha in 2010 due to pressure from allies. The new Bill will likely extend the range of reservations beyond Parliament and state legislatures. Opposition leaders have encouraged women’s reservations before the Parliamentary session. With the support of the NDA, BJD, and primary Opposition parties, the Bill is likely to pass without issues.

The women’s reservation bill received Rahul Gandhi’s “unconditional support”

With the support of the NDA, its ally BJD, and significant Opposition parties, who jointly represent 431 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 175 in the Rajya Sabha, the Bill will probably get passed without any problems this time.

The Union Cabinet finally introduced the long-delayed Women’s Reservation Bill

The Union Cabinet’s decision to approve the long-delayed Women’s Reservation Bill to introduce it during the current special session of Parliament received glowing reviews from Congress. Once passed, the constitution amendment bill will guarantee a reservation for women in state and federal legislatures.

ALSO READ | Congress Working Committee – Congress Will Fight to get Women’s Bill Passed

Rahul’s previous letter attracted media attention

An old letter from Congressman Rahul Gandhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi became widely circulated. In the letter, Gandhi discussed providing ‘unconditional support’ for enacting the Bill to give women legislative reservation.

Rahul Gandhi emphasized in his letter how the BJP had previously supported the Bill, and then-Union minister Arun Jaitley referred to it as “historic and momentous.”

Jairam Ramesh shared Rahul Gandhi’s letter

“Our Prime Minister claims to be a champion for women’s empowerment? It’s time for him to put party politics aside, act on what he says, and see that the Women’s Reservation Bill receives approval by Parliament. He has the Congress’ undivided support, the 2018 letter, which Congress MP Jairam Ramesh shared, states.

UPA government failed to table the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha in 2010

Since 1996, many unsuccessful attempts to draft legislation establishing legislative reservations for women. Due to some pressure from allies, the UPA government in 2010 was able to approve the Bill in the Rajya Sabha but was unable to table it in the Lok Sabha.

The 2010 Bill was not the same as the new Bill

However, it states that the new Bill won’t be the same as the one from 2010 and that the range of reservations will probably extend outside the Parliament and state legislatures. A primary interest for several regional parties, the limit within quota provision was left out in the earlier Bill.

Opposition leaders encouraged women’s reservations

Opposition leaders promoted women’s reservations before the Parliamentary session. Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress, also made note of the lopsided gender distribution of elected officials, noting that only 14% of them were women in Parliament while only 10% were in state legislatures.

With the support of the NDA, its ally BJD, and primary Opposition parties, who collectively represent 431 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 175 in the Rajya Sabha, the Bill is likely to pass this time without any problems.

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