TNI Bureau: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of staging political drama over the Women’s Reservation Bill and misleading the public on its implementation.

Addressing a press conference at Shankha Bhawan, BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo and senior General Secretary Dr. Lekhashree Samantasinghar alleged that although the Women’s Reservation Bill, enacted as the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, 2023, was passed by Parliament and received Presidential assent, the BJP-led NDA government failed to implement it in the 2024 general elections.

The BJD leaders claimed that despite support from all political parties for the legislation, the BJP delayed implementation by linking it to the post-2026 Census delimitation process. They alleged that the BJP later attempted to introduce delimitation based on the 2011 Census along with women’s reservation, a move opposed by several parties over concerns that it would reduce representation of states such as Odisha and other southern and eastern states.

Following the failure of that proposal, the BJP has begun blaming opposition parties and portraying them as anti-women, BJD alleged.

The party further claimed that if the BJP was sincere about women’s reservation, it should immediately implement 33 per cent reservation among the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats without linking it to delimitation.

Highlighting BJD’s record, the party said it had fielded women candidates in 33 per cent of parliamentary seats in Odisha in both the 2019 and 2024 general elections under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik.

BJD also pointed to its longstanding advocacy for women’s political empowerment, noting that Biju Patnaik introduced 33 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies in Odisha in 1992, which was later increased to 50 per cent by Naveen Patnaik.

The party asserted that BJD has consistently remained at the forefront of women’s reservation and empowerment, while accusing the BJP of spreading false propaganda for political gain.