BRS, BJP blame each other over lack of women’s representation in politics

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are engaging in a war of words over the issue of women’s representation in the upcoming Telangana State Assembly elections.

The BRS has been criticised for listing only seven women candidates in its first list of MLA aspirants, while the BJP has been accused of not doing enough to promote women’s empowerment. The exchange between the two parties has highlighted the issue of women’s representation in Indian politics.

The Telangana BJP state president and Union minister G Kishan Reddy said that the BRS’ list shows that the party is “rattled” by the rise of the BJP in Telangana. He also accused the BRS of “playing with women’s reservation.”

Reddy, in a tweet, said, “Bangaru Kutumbam Family members created drama in Jantar Mantar demanding for 33% reservation for women in Parliament. In Bangaru Kutumbam Mathematics 33% reservation led to 6 seats (3+3= 6) being given for women by the BRS party this time.”

“In his desperation to get the anti-communal MIM to win, KCR is trying to split the anti-MIM vote by fielding candidates on the instructions of Majlis party that will further help the MIM cause,” Reddy said.

He also alleged that by repeating a majority of sitting MLAs, KCR has conceded that in a losing election, his only option is to rely on the money power of his MLAs who have amassed massive amounts of wealth through land grabbing and other illegal activities in the last five years.

DK Aruna asks Kavitha to apologise

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, BJP national vice president, DK Aruna said that KCR had done injustice to women by not giving them 33 per cent reservation in the Assembly elections. She also criticised BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha for her recent protest in Delhi, saying it was a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from the liquor case against her father.

Aruna demanded that KCR and Kavitha apologise to the people of Telangana for their neglect of women’s issues, and called on them to resign from their posts.

DK Aruna also accused KCR of doing injustice to SCs, STs, and BCs in ticket allotment for the upcoming Assembly elections. She said that KCR had given tickets to the upper castes, regardless of their qualifications or experience. She also criticised that only 22 seats had been allotted to BCs, and that not a single ticket had been given to the Mudirajs.

Kavitha hits back at BJP

BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha hit back at Kishan Reddy, saying that the BJP is only interested in “poaching” BRS candidates who did not get tickets, and also asked not to link his political insecurities to women’s representation.

Kavitha said that Reddy’s concern for women’s rights is “astonishing but welcoming.” She said that the BJP, with its overwhelming majority in the Parliament, can table and pass any bill. However, the party has refused to even entertain its two-time manifesto promise of the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Kavitha also said that BRS president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao believes that without a Constitutional right in place, just like that of local bodies, it is not possible to achieve 33 per cent reservation for women at the national and assembly levels.

Congress leaders question Kavitha’s commitment

Congress leaders Palvai Sravanti and Kalva Sujatha questioned Kavitha’s commitment to women’s reservations.

The leaders said that Kavitha, the daughter of BRS president and CM KCR, has been critical of the Congress party for not doing enough for women’s reservation. They also pointed out that the BRS has only given seven tickets to women in the upcoming Assembly elections.

“If Kavitha is sincere about women’s reservations, she should fight for it within her own party,” Sravanti said. “Instead of blaming Congress, she should ask her father to give more tickets to women.”