Meet The Female MPs Who Presided Over The Women’s Reservation Bill Discussion In The Rajya Sabha

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar delivered a statement in light of the women’s reservation Bill’s historic importance, which was brought up for discussion and passage in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. He said that 13 female MPs from different political parties will join the present group of vice-chairpersons in assisting him in presiding over the House’s business.

The women MPs identified by Dhankhar, who took turns presiding over the Upper House during the debate on the Bill, were as follows: P T Usha (nominated), S Phangnon Konyak (BJP), Jaya Bachchan (SP), Saroj Pandey (BJP), Rajani Ashokrao Patil (Congress), Fauzia Khan (NCP), Dola Sen (TMC), Indu Bala Goswami (BJP), Kanimozhi (DMK), Kavita Patidar (BJP), Mahua Maji (JMM), Kalpana Saini (BJP), and Sulata Deo (BJD).

Following the announcement of their names, Dhankar stated, “They will have the occasion, along with the panel (of existing vice-chairpersons), to be in the Chair for some time, in order to send a message to the larger world that they were in a commanding position at a time when this historic change was taking place.”

In March 2022, S Phangnon Konyak made history when she was elected as Nagaland’s first female member of the Rajya Sabha. She was just the second woman from the state to be elected to the state Assembly or the Parliament, hence her election represented a major turning point. S Phangnon Konyak is the Mahila Morcha’s current president of the Nagaland state BJP.

Saroj Pandey’s lengthy and fruitful political career culminated with his election as a BJP member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha. She held the distinction of being twice elected to the role of mayor of Durg in Chhattisgarh, first in 2000 and then again in 2005. Saroj Pandey, a BJP candidate, ran for and won the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections in 2008 from Vaishali Nagar. She received a BJP nomination the next year to represent Durg in the Lok Sabha, which she again won. Her extraordinary accomplishment allowed her to occupy the offices of Mayor, Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), and Member of Parliament (MP), which is regarded as a first in Indian politics.

The All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) Jammu and Kashmir delegate from Maharashtra, Rajani Ashokrao Patil, also plays a significant role in this regard. She received the renowned “Best Debut Parliamentarian” award in 2017, which recognized her remarkable performance during her first term in the Rajya Sabha, as one of her major accomplishments.

Current National President of the NCP’s women’s branch is Fauzia Khan. She served as a minister in Maharashtra before joining her party’s delegation to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. Fauzia Khan has the distinction of serving twice as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) prior to her position in the Rajya Sabha.

Himachal Pradesh’s Rajya Sabha representative Indu Bala Goswami has been a member of the BJP since 1988. She worked with Prime Minister Modi in the late 1980s while serving as Vice-President of the BJP’s youth arm, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.

The late Union minister N V N Somu’s daughter, Dr. Kanimozhi NVN Somu, is a member of the DMK and now represents Tamil Nadu as an MP in the Rajya Sabha. She also has significant responsibilities inside the party, acting as the DMK’s spokesman and secretary for the state’s medical wing.

From Madhya Pradesh, Kavita Patidar won election to the Rajya Sabha. She has held important roles inside the BJP before reaching this milestone. Previously, Kavita Patidar represented the BJP as the Indore district panchayat chair. Later, she assumed the position of Madhya Pradesh’s State General Secretary for the party.

Jharkhand is represented in the Rajya Sabha by Mahua Maji, a member of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). Mahua Maji had held important roles within the JMM and the state of Jharkhand before taking up her present post in the Parliament. She has previously held the positions of President within the JMM’s women’s wing and Chairperson of the State Women Commission of Jharkhand.

The Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) representative in the Rajya Sabha, Sulata Deo, also serves as the organization’s spokeswoman. She formerly worked as a consultant for the “Mission Shakti” initiative, started by the BJD-led government in Odisha.