BRS leader writes to 47 parties urging passage of women quota bill in Parliament session

BRS leader K Kavitha on Tuesday made an appeal to 47 political parties presidents, including the chiefs of BJP and Congress, J P Nadda and Mallikarjun Kharge respectively, urging them to unite and pass the long-awaited Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament.

The leaders include Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh (Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy), Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal), Bihar (Nitish Kumar), Tamil Nadu (M K Stalin), West Bengal ( Mamata Banerjee) and Odisha (Naveen Patnaik).

In a letter addressed to the leaders separately, she called upon them to set aside political differences and prioritise the passage of the Bill saying increased women's representation is not a matter of exclusivity but a means to build a more equitable and balanced political landscape.

"It is my sincere hope that all political parties will rise above partisan interests and unite in support of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which has languished in legislative limbo for far too long," she urged the leaders.

Kavitha, who is an MLC in Telangana and daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, underscored the pivotal role women play in "Indian discourse" and the pressing need for their representation in legislative bodies.

Stating that women constitute 50 per cent of the country’s population and play a pivotal role in every aspect of the society, Kavitha said when it comes to legislative representation, in state assemblies and Parliament, their presence remain "woefully inadequate".

"This glaring disparity hampers our nation's progress and undermines the principles of democracy upon which our great country is built. The representation of women in legislative discourse is of utmost importance for several reasons...," she said in the letter.

She highlighted the proof of concept provided by the 14 lakh women already active in public life, demonstrating their ability to lead and govern effectively.

Kavitha has been a prominent voice in raising the demand for the Women's Reservation Bill that seeks to provide 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

She sat on a hunger strike earlier in March demanding the tabling and passing of the Bill and has been engaging with political parties and civil society organisations across India to escalate the demand for legislation on it.

The special Parliament session will be convened from September 18 to 22.