NCW writes to CM Arvind Kejriwal over inclusion of women in Delhi cabinet

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday for the inclusion of women in the Delhi Cabinet. Reportedly, NCW had received a plea requesting the body to take up the matter with the CM to include at least one woman in the Cabinet of the Delhi government by amending Article 239(5) of the Constitution. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP had retained majority in the recent Assembly elections as they swept 63 out of the 70 seats. 

In the letter by the NCW to Kejriwal, it has been conveyed that all citizens are supposed to be given equal representation and leadership irrespective of gender. The Commission has also requested the Chief Minister to consider inducting a couple of woman legislators in the council of ministers which will enable women to have an equal say in the decision-making process.

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No women representation in Kejriwal's Cabinet

Even as eight AAP women candidates - Atishi Marlena, Rakhi Birla, Raj Kumari Dhillon, Preeti Tomar, Dhanwati Chandela, Parmila Tokas, Bhavna Gaur and Bandana Kumari emerged victorious in the 2020 Assembly polls, eyebrows were raised as the AAP government failed to include any one of them in the Cabinet of ministers. 

Apart from these, Preeti Tomar (Tri Nagar), Dhanwati Chandela (Rajouri Nagar), Pramila Tokas (RK Puram), Bhavna Gaur (Palam), and Bandana Kumari (Shalimar Bagh) - the other five who won for AAP-do not figure in the new cabinet. 

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Furthermore, AAP's poll campaign had stressed on women's issues like free bus rides for women, safety, etc. Atishi Marlena, who won the election from Kalkaji, has served as a key advisor to the AAP leader Manish Sisodia primarily on education policies that transformed public school education in the capital. Additionally, MLA Rakhi Birla from Mangolpuri constituency has also failed to come back to the Cabinet in this term even after bagging over 74,100 votes, with a margin of over 30,000 votes and 58 per cent of the vote share.

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"Nothing wrong in repeating same cabinet"

Ahead of the oath-taking ceremony on February 16, AAP leader Manish Sisodia acknowledged the question of no women in AAP's new cabinet and had said that there is nothing wrong in repeating the same cabinet if Chief Minster wants to.

“People will decide who will be Chief Minister and who will be in the cabinet will be decided by CM, If CM thinks the same cabinet should be repeated then there is nothing wrong in it. Today is the oath-taking ceremony day, which means we will take oath to do our work with the same honesty and dedication for the next five years. We will keep gratitude towards people for electing us for the next five years. People of Delhi gave a message to the world,” Sisodia had added.

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