‘We need inclusive Parliament’: Chief Election Commissioner on Women Representation

Polling Elections Law Insider

Khushi Doshi

Published on: March 27, 2022 at 12:22 IST

Sushil Chandra, Chief Election Commissioner stated on Saturday that the first Lok Sabha had 15 women MPs and the 17th Lok Sabha has 78, but development is still gradual.

While speaking at the ‘Sansad Ratna Awards’ event in Delhi, he stated that there is a need for a highly inclusive Parliament.

“The first Lok Sabha had 15 female MPs, and the 17th Lok Sabha has 78, but progress has been gradual. We’ll need an inclusive Parliament “he declared during his speech.

He emphasised the functions of a good legislature, saying that it is really and meaningfully representative.

It must contain a varied range of viewpoints, particularly those that have previously been marginalised. This suggests that women will have a larger presence and engagement in Parliament.

“A good Legislature’s traditional purpose is to be inclusive. This is the most crucial aspect.” He expressed.

He expressed worry over the time lost due to disturbances in Parliament, saying that it does not bode well for democracy.

The amount of time wasted due to disturbances has increased dramatically over the years, with some sessions experiencing a total ‘wash out.’

“This does not bode well for a strong Parliamentary Democracy,” he remarked.

He cited data from the recently held Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab, and Manipur while speaking about women’s engagement in elections.

He noted that female voter turnout outnumbered male voter turnout in four of the five states—Goa, Uttarakhand, Manipur, and Uttar Pradesh—while it was virtually equal in Punjab.

Also read:

What changes are introduced by Election laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021?

Which are the Constitutional Bodies in India?

Procedure of filing an Election Petition in the Supreme Court

Related Post