Sonia Gandhi to be the lead speaker from the Congress on women’s reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha

Sonia Gandhi to lead Cong in Lok Sabha debate on Women's Reservation Bill. Bill seeks one-third reservation for women in Lok Sabha, but regional parties have objected to lack of separate quota for OBC women. Bill lapsed in 2010 due to lack of consensus, but Cong President Kharge raised the issue in Rajya Sabha. Bill will come into effect after 2021 Decadal Census and subsequent delimitation exercise.

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi is expected to be lead speaker from her party in the Lok Sabha when the lower house takes up the women’s reservation Bill for debate and passage on Wednesday, September 20, 2023.

Ms. Gandhi was seen as the driving force behind the women’s reservation Bill that was passed in the Rajya Sabha on March 9,2010, during the Manmohan Singh government. But the Bill lapsed as it couldn’t be taken up in the Lok Sabha because of a lack on consensus among political parties. 

Several regional parties including some allies of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)  had objected to the fact the Bill didn’t have separate quota for for women belonging to other backward classes (OBC).

On Tuesday, Congress  President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, flagged the issue, while speaking in the new chamber of the Rajya Sabha, had also raised the issue. 

Mr, Kharge’s stance is politically significant as some regional parties, who are part of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), opposed the women’s reservation Bill on the ground that it didn’t quote within quota.

Recalling that the Upper House had passed Women’s Reservation Bill in 2010, he said, “…there were some hurdles and it did not go beyond Rajya Sabha”.

“Due to Constitutional reservation SC and ST (women) had one-third reservation. But if there is no Constitutional amendment to ensure one-third seats to women from backward classes, they will not get reservation. If you do not do it, it will be an injustice to women from backward classes,” he said adding that literacy level among OBC and SC women was low and political parties often selected weak women for tickets.