The Nagaland Pradesh Mahila Congress (NPMC) has criticized the BJP Mahila Morcha Nagaland, terming its recent advocacy for women’s reservation as “political hypocrisy” and “election opportunism.”
In a press statement, NPMC president Akumla Pongen stated that the BJP’s position is “misleading” and an attempt to take credit for measures initiated by the Congress party decades ago.
The statement said that women’s reservation at the grassroots level was introduced under the Congress government led by former Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments in 1992, which ensured 33 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies across the country. It added that the move institutionalized women’s participation in governance and empowered women at the grassroots level.
The NPMC further asserted that the Congress has consistently supported increasing women’s reservation up to 50 per cent, noting that several states have already implemented higher quotas.
Questioning the BJP’s commitment, the statement raised concerns over the delay in implementing the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act. It questioned why the reservation has been linked to delimitation and census, pushing its implementation to a later period, instead of being enforced immediately.
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The statement also alleged that the delay indicates a lack of sincerity and accused the BJP of using the issue as an electoral strategy ahead of upcoming elections in states such as Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Reiterating its position, the NPMC stated that the Congress has consistently demanded immediate implementation of women’s reservation and has raised the issue both in Parliament and public platforms. It added that the party stands for “real empowerment, timely implementation, and genuine representation” of women at all levels.
The statement concluded by urging the BJP Mahila Morcha Nagaland to “stop misleading the people” and acknowledge the role of Congress in advancing women’s political representation in the country.
