WomenReservation – Maharashtra Pushes Public Campaign Backing Women’s Quota Bill

WomenReservation – Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday announced that the ruling Mahayuti alliance will begin a large-scale public outreach campaign aimed at gathering one crore signatures from women across the state. The initiative, he said, is intended to demonstrate widespread public support for women’s reservation and to highlight what he described as the Opposition’s lack of commitment to women’s representation.

Campaign to Mobilise Public Support

Speaking at a press conference, Fadnavis said the signature drive would help create a strong public mandate in favour of the proposed legislation. According to him, the campaign will involve direct engagement with women from different regions, ensuring that their voices are formally recorded and presented as evidence of public backing.

He stated that the effort is not just political but also social, aimed at raising awareness about the importance of increased representation of women in legislative bodies. The campaign is expected to roll out across urban and rural areas in the coming weeks.

Criticism of Opposition’s Role

Fadnavis sharply criticised Opposition parties for their stance on the women’s quota Bill, alleging that their approach reflects a reluctance to support progressive reforms. He argued that the failure to pass the legislation in Parliament had denied the country an important opportunity to advance gender equality in politics.

Referring to the events of April 17, he said the day was expected to mark a significant milestone with the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which proposes 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. However, the Bill did not secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lower House.

Out of 528 members who voted, 298 supported the Bill while 230 opposed it, falling short of the 352 votes needed for passage.

Debate Over Numbers and Timing

The Chief Minister suggested that the outcome might have been different if the ruling alliance had a stronger majority. He claimed that the Opposition took advantage of the situation to block the Bill, despite being aware of its broader significance.

He also addressed concerns about the timeline for implementation, noting that the proposal is linked to a delimitation exercise based on census data. Due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the census has not yet been conducted, which could push the implementation timeline beyond 2027.

To address this, the government has proposed using earlier census data as a temporary measure, allowing the process to move forward without waiting for updated figures.

Addressing Regional and Social Concerns

Fadnavis rejected concerns raised by some regional parties, particularly from southern states, that delimitation could alter the balance of representation. He stated that any increase in Lok Sabha seats would be proportionate across states and would not disadvantage any specific region.

He also noted that the proposed changes would lead to an increase in representation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, ensuring broader inclusivity.

On the issue of caste census, the Chief Minister said that enumeration of Other Backward Classes would be conducted as part of the overall census process, dismissing claims that the women’s reservation proposal was diverting attention from it.

Call for Public Participation

Fadnavis emphasised that the government will continue to push for the Bill by building public consensus. He said the outreach campaign is part of a larger effort to keep the issue at the forefront of public discussion until the legislation is eventually passed.

He also pointed out that previous governments had not implemented women’s reservation despite having the required parliamentary strength, arguing that constitutional measures are necessary to ensure meaningful change.

The Chief Minister concluded by reiterating that the initiative is aimed at securing fair representation for women in governance, describing it as a step toward strengthening democratic participation.