Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday called for a separate quota for women belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes within the proposed 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Addressing select mediapersons, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said while her party welcomes the move to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, the absence of a dedicated sub-quota for marginalised communities could “largely negate” its objective.
She said the Centre has convened a special session of Parliament on the issue, but raised concerns over whether women from SC, ST and OBC communities would receive the intended benefits without specific safeguards.
Mayawati said her party has long demanded 50 per cent reservation for women in proportion to population across all sections, but alleged that political parties have not supported the idea due to “interests and compulsions”.
In 2023, while welcoming the BJP government’s move to table the Women’s Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha, she had said that even if 50% seats are reserved for women and a separate quota for SC/ST/OBC women within this limit, she and her party would still support the Bill and “do everything to get it passed.”
She stressed that women’s reservation should be viewed through the lens of safety, dignity and social upliftment rather than political considerations, warning that entrenched social structures could otherwise limit its impact.
On Wednesday, she said that amid the discussions on women’s empowerment, proper implementation had been hindered by lack of policy clarity and political will.
“As a result, incidents of oppression, caste-based discrimination and exploitation against women, particularly from weaker sections, continue unabated,” she added.
Targeting the Congress, she questioned why the issue of sub-quotas for SC, ST and OBC women was being raised now, alleging that it was ignored during its earlier tenure due to “casteist bias”.
Referring to B R Ambedkar, she said constitutional provisions aimed at ensuring equality for women had been diluted over time, and cited his resignation as law minister over issues including reservation for backward classes and women’s rights.
Mayawati urged that the issue be kept above partisan politics and implemented at the earliest to ensure meaningful progress in women’s representation and empowerment.