The Women’s Reservation Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 during the tenure of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.
Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi referred to the Women’s Reservation Bill as “ours” shortly after the Union Cabinet approved a proposed Constitutional amendment to introduce quotas for women in parliament and state legislatures. This approval paved the way for the introduction of the landmark legislation during the current special parliamentary session.
Gandhi stated, “It is ours. Woh hamara bill hai [It is our bill],” upon her arrival in Parliament on Tuesday.
The Congress party has sought recognition for its role in advancing the Women’s Reservation Bill. In 2010, the bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha amid significant disruptions. However, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government did not pursue the bill in the Lok Sabha due to demands from its allies, such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Samajwadi Party, for quotas for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes within the proposed women’s quota.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared on a social media platform a letter from his party colleague Rahul Gandhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, offering unconditional support for the bill’s passage. In the letter, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “Our Prime Minister says he’s a crusader for women’s empowerment? Time for him to rise above party politics, walk his talk, and have the Women’s Reservation Bill passed by Parliament. The Congress offers him its unconditional support.”
Ramesh pointed out that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi initially introduced Constitutional amendment bills in May 1989 for one-third reservation for women in panchayats and city councils, but they did not pass in the Rajya Sabha. He also noted that Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao reintroduced similar bills in April 1993, which were successfully passed into law. As a result, there are now over 1.5 million elected women representatives in panchayats and city councils, constituting about 40% of the total.
Ramesh continued, “As Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh introduced a Constitution Amendment Bill for one-third reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. The bill was passed on March 9, 2010, in the Rajya Sabha but was not taken up in the Lok Sabha. It’s important to note that bills introduced and passed in the Rajya Sabha do not lapse, and the Women’s Reservation Bill is still active.”
He emphasized that for the past nine years, the Congress has been advocating for the Women’s Reservation Bill to be passed in the Lok Sabha as well.
During a meeting in Hyderabad over the weekend, the Congress Working Committee demanded the passage of the bill during the ongoing special session.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien highlighted that their party chief, Mamata Banerjee, had already set an example by allocating more than 40% of seats to women.
The specifics of the new bill have not been disclosed yet, but it is expected to extend the scope of reservation beyond the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
The 2010 bill did not include provisions for subcategories of castes within the women’s quota. The effort to increase women’s representation in legislatures through quotas has been a politically and legally complex process over the past three decades.
