41% Women In The List Of Lok Sabha Candidates Released By TMC For Elections

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) said that 41% of the TMC candidates in the Lok Sabha election are women. TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made the announcement while releasing the list of candidates for all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies.

This development comes days after BJD chief and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announced that 33% of its Lok Sabha tickets will be given to women.

“We want to focus on women’s empowerment”

Mamata Banerjee, while announcing the names of the candidates for Lok Sabha elections, in a press conference said, “I am so happy. This is a proud moment for us. We want to focus on women’s empowerment. We have not restricted ourselves to the minimum of 33% that the government is trying to set for the number of women in parliament.”

The list dropped 10 current parliamentarians and the party has said that they will be engaged in the party work. TMC will also contest some seats in Odisha, Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

BJD allocates 33% Lok Sabha tickets for women

On March 10, Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik had announced that 33% of its Lok Sabha tickets will be given to women. The announcement came just hours before the Lok Sabha schedule was declared. Attending a women’s rally in Kendrapara district Naveen Patnaik said, “From this historic soil in Kendrapara I announce that from Odisha, 33 per cent women will go to Parliament….Odisha will show India the way in empowering women.”

Women’s Reservation Bill pending in Lok Sabha

Even though the BJD took the lead in ensuring greater representation of women in the Lok Sabha and the TMC jumped on the bandwagon, other states are yet to follow suit.

Women’s Reservation Bill is pending in the Lok Sabha. While the bill was passed in Rajya Sabha in March 2010, the Lok Sabha is yet to vote on it. Introduced by the UPA government in 2008, the bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats in Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies for women. Further, one-third of these seats would be reserved for women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The Women’s Reservation Bill was promised by BJP in its manifesto, however, no concrete step has been taken yet.

Also Read: BJD Will Reserve 33% Tickets For Women In Lok Sabha: Odisha CM