NCP, Congress tussle over credit for reservation

The Congress is trying to score points against the NCP by claiming that the 50% reservation for women in local bodies elections was mooted by high command Sonia Gandhi.

What has worried the Congress is that NCP president and union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has taken the lead in state to ensure the reservation decision comes into force on March 8, International Women’s Day. Pawar also sounded the same to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.

MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre said, “The Congress has always been in the forefront to give greater representation to the women in electoral politics.”

Union rural development minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was quick to assert how Centre has already taken the decision. “The Congress-led government at Centre has already passed the Women Act. Several states have also enforced the same in the local bodies elections.”

Notwithstanding the tussle over the credit, the officials are debating the merits. Insiders in the NCP point out how deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had raised a valid question when he asked whether the women elected in the local bodies are given a free hand in functioning. He indicated how male members in the family often dominate the functioning and decision-making. The women who are elected often are reduced to signing the papers. The elected women should be allowed to take independent decisions.

The leaders in the Congress and NCP admit, “At present, the 33% reservation which is in force may have brought women to centre stage of local bodies politics which is laudable. But planning and decision making remains a challenge.”