Vijay Wadettiwar, Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, has voiced skepticism regarding the Women’s Reservation Bill, labeling it another “jumla” or false promise from the BJP-led Union government. According to Wadettiwar, the bill will not be in effect during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In a social media post, Wadettiwar expressed his doubts, stating, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done another ‘jumla’ in the new building of Parliament.” He explained that the Women’s Reservation Bill would only be implemented after the completion of the decadal census, which was initially slated for 2021 but has not yet commenced.
Furthermore, Wadettiwar claimed that the Congress party was the first to introduce a bill reserving seats for women in state assemblies and parliament. “Modi has misled the women in the country on the very first day of the new parliament building,” he added.
In contrast, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed the bill, expressing his support for Prime Minister Modi’s decision. Fadnavis expressed optimism about the bill’s passage through both houses, anticipating an increase in the number of women representatives in both the assembly and the Lok Sabha.