NCP wants 50% quota for women in local polls

The Nationalist Congress Party on Sunday decided to demand an increase in the reservation for women in local self-government bodies from 33% to 50 %.

The idea was mooted by union agriculture minister and NCP president Sharad Pawar at a meeting held with party cabinet ministers in Mumbai. The meeting which was to review the cabinet ministers in Democratic Front government and organisation dwelt on measures to expand the NCP base across Maharashtra in the coming local bodies’ elections to be held in 2011 and 12.

The senior minister for public works department Chhagan Bhujbal said, “The demand was a step forward to empower the women in electoral politics at grass roots.”

At the closed-door meeting, Pawar urged the party ministers to pursue the issue with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan during the international women’s day on March 8. Interestingly, centre has already taken the decision and it was for the respective state government to enact the law and execute its implementation.

Highly-placed sources in the NCP said, “Even when 33% quota for women was mooted at local bodies it was met with stiff opposition from various quarters. But over the years it has come to stay. Similarly, we now have to raise the quota to 50.”

Pawar, when he was the chief minister of Maharashtra, had taken a first initiative to evolve a comprehensive women policy (1993-94) that was adopted as a model at national level.”

The NCP emphasis on “nari shakti” (women power) is part of its electoral commitment as it realises that 50% of the vote bank constitutes women force. It is a tactical move to make inroads into untapped sectors.

Pawar urged the ministers to focus on areas where the organisation was lagging and asked every minister to spend at least three days in rural areas.

The party discussed the strategy for 27 zilla parishads and ten municipal corporations in the state. Pawar urged the party to ensure that secular votes were not divided.