The 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill related to Women's Reservation Law and Delimitation has been defeated in the Lok Sabha.
The government has suffered a setback amidst preparations to give 33 percent reservation to women. Women in Lok Sabha on Friday The 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill related to reservation law and delimitation was defeated. This is the first time in 12 years that a constitutional amendment bill introduced by the Modi government has been defeated in the House. Only the issue of women's reservation In the politics of Uttar Pradesh, it raises the question not only of figures but also of the real power of power.
Despite being ahead in voting for decades, women never reached more than 10 percent in the center of power. Now that the bill to reserve 33 percent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies has failed, the question arises whether if it was passed, the strength of women would have increased along with the count or would the old picture be repeated?
The history of women's political journey in Uttar Pradesh is full of both pride and disappointment. From the first general elections in 1951-52 till today, women have been voting more than men, but the path to reach Parliament and Assembly has not been easy for them. There are 20 seats in the Lok Sabha of 2019 and 2024 where women voted more than the number of men. Yet till now there are 40 percent Lok Sabha seats where no woman MP has been elected till date. At the same time, till date no woman has been elected on 50 percent of the assembly seats, whereas the share of women in the voter list is around 46 percent.
There is no representation of women here
33 Lok Sabha seats and 200 assembly constituencies like Agra, Saharanpur, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Kushinagar are still without women representation. The data of assembly elections from 1957 to 2022 repeats the same story. In 1951, out of 50 women candidates, 20 won. After decades, in 2022, 51 out of 559 women candidates won. (Plus four by-elections). That means only 12.65 percent of the total seats. Even in the government, women's participation never crossed 10 percent.
5 women ministers for the first time in 2017
In 2017, she became a minister for the first time, but twice during the cabinet expansion, some ministers were removed and some new faces were made ministers. Even in 2022, five women ministers were made in the Yogi government, which is a record of the last three decades. Talking about leadership, Uttar Pradesh has the honor of giving the country its first woman Governor, Chief Minister and Prime Minister. Women like Sucheta Kripalani, Mayawati became Chief Ministers, but the number of women in their cabinets remained only one to four percent.
How many women ministers in which government?
Prakashwati Sood became the first woman minister in Sampurnanand's government. Six women became ministers in Veer Bahadur Singh's government and seven in ND Tiwari's. During Mayawati's four terms, women's participation never went above four percent. In 2007, only Omwati became a minister along with Mayawati. There were two women ministers in Akhilesh Yadav's 2012 government. In the 2022 assembly elections, BJP gave tickets to 45 women, SP to 42 and BSP to 37 women. Congress experimented with giving 40 percent tickets, but won only one.
What would have happened if the bill was passed? Understand from political analysts
Political analysts say that if the reservation bill is passed, the parties would be legally bound. After delimitation, 40 out of 120 Lok Sabha seats and at least 200 out of 603 assembly seats would be reserved for women. This would have been more than the total participation of four decades, but increasing the numbers does not increase strength. After the constitutional amendment of 1993, one-third reservation in Panchayats and urban bodies handed over the command of more than half of the Gram Panchayats, Block Committees and District Panchayats of UP to women. Of the 58,176 posts of village head, 53.70 percent, of the 826 posts of block head, 54.11 percent and of the 75 posts of District Panchayat President, 56 percent are women.
37.54 percent among municipal councilors, 48.74 percent among municipal chairpersons. But in most cases the reins remain in the hands of male relatives. The phenomenon of Sarpanch Pati became common. A woman's face, but a man's decision.
42 percent women are from political families
The ADR report presents an even more worrying picture. 42 percent of women representatives in Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council come from political families. Of the current seven Lok Sabha MPs from UP, six are from big political families and one is a celebrity. Even in Panchayats, reservation often became a way to save the family's position. An environment has still not been created for the common woman to enter politics independently and lead.
The Women's Reservation Bill could have challenged this old system. In ticket distribution, parties had to give place to at least one-third women. But the question remains the same. Would this reservation merely increase numbers or increase participation of common women in policy-making, decision-making and real leadership?
The experience of Panchayats shows that there is a difference in quantity and quality. If no effort is made to field women candidates independently with reservation, to train them and to elevate them above dynastic politics, then the new system may repeat the old picture.
The 75 year old political journey of Uttar Pradesh is now reaching a new destination. Women already had the power to vote. Now will the power of power also come into their hands or will this reservation also become the new face of beneficiary politics? This will depend on the upcoming elections and the thinking of the parties. But history is witness, thinking will have to change before increasing the numbers.
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