‘Can’t push KCR over no women in Telangana Cabinet’

HYDERABAD: TRS MP from Nizamabad, K Kavitha on Friday said she cannot influence her party leader and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to induct a woman in his council of ministers.
During an interaction on ‘reservations and India’s way forward’ at the Indian School of Business, Kavitha said no political party, including the TRS, Congress or BJP, has given equal space to women in politics.“This issue would be addressed only if it is mandated by the Parliament or the Election Commission of India,” she said.
Replying to a query on influencing her father to induct women into Telangana State Cabinet, she said, “Of the total 85-plus TRS MLAs, only four are women in Telangana State Assembly. I would never shy away and today I again reiterate that no party — whether TRS, Congress or BJP — will give equal space to women unless and until it is mandated by the Election Commission of India or the Parliament. A legislation or a rule should be in place.”
“If you talk about me wielding my power on my father (to induct women in Telangana Cabinet), I don’t think that’s how it works in politics. I am a very junior member of the party with just four-and-a-half-years of experience as an MP and influencing my party leader with 40 years of experience is not going to work. For women, it has to be mandated. I have never shied away from saying this because the TRS is no different from any other party,” Kavitha said.
The Nizamabad MP added that the Women’s reservation bill, which is pending in the Parliament, is unlikely to be passed in the near future.