PANJIM: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State unit president and Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade on Wednesday said that party’s women MLAs have not been allotted cabinet berths as already husbands of two MLAs are Cabinet Ministers.
“We cannot give cabinet berths to our three women MLAs since two of their husbands are already ministers. There cannot be two Ministers within a family,’’ he said while addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters in the city.
Tanavade claimed that all the women MLAs of the party are capable and can take decisions independently.
“Question is will you give two ministries to a household. Jennifer Monserrate was cabinet minister last time. Did she not work? All women MLAs are capable. All can handle ministries. These MLAs can take decisions on their own. They do not require help from anybody,” he said.
Speaking further, the Rajya Sabha MP said the party would allot tickets to capable women leaders once the women’s reservation bill is implemented.
“I give a guarantee that after reservation of seats, BJP will give tickets to those women leaders who will be capable and can take decisions independently,” he said.
Accepting that winnability is a main criteria for allotment of tickets, he said once seats would be reserved then there would be contest among women leaders only.
“Winnability is a criteria for allotting tickets but when the seats will be reserved, there will be women leaders only and in that case, we will compare women leaders with leaders of other political parties. I am confident that we will be able field capable women leaders in all the 13 constituencies,” he said.
Tanavade claimed that women leaders have been given 33 per cent reservation at all levels of the State organisation of the party.
Poriem MLA Deviya Rane said being a first time MLA, she was learning and does not harbor expectations.
“I am a first time MLA. I am learning. I do not have expectations. You have to progress step by step. You cannot jump. Those who are ministers today are experienced MLAs. Every Assembly session is a learning experience. There is always next time,” she said.
