Quota to be a poll plank but unclear if BJP will field more women candidates

The new law that reserves 33% seats for women in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies will be a major poll plank in the assembly polls in five states and 2024 general elections, where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s outreach will be designed to focus on women’s issues and policies. It is, however, not clear whether the party will field more women candidates.

- Smriti Kak Ramachandran

The law, known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, will not come into effect anytime soon, as the implementation has been tied to the delimitation exercise to redraw constituencies and conduct of the decennial census; it must also be ratified by 50% of the states. While delimitation cannot be conducted till 2026, there is no word on when the census, which has already been delayed, will be carried out.

For the BJP that earmarks 33% of all posts in the party for women and has been gradually increasing the number of women candidates in elections, it will be tightrope walk as all eyes will be on whether the party makes a conscious decision to field more women in the upcoming election season.

There is no plan at present to field 33% women candidates in poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Telangana and Chhattisgarh, but the overall number will be decided based on a candidate’s chances of winning, said party functionaries who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The party has been encouraging and grooming women leaders. The number of women MPs, legislators and ministers has been on the rise, and the party is committed to reserving 33% seats for women, but it may not happen in the upcoming elections,” a party functionary said.