Naveen pushed for women' reservation bill, says BJD

BJD leaders have welcomed the Centre's decision to table a bill reserving one-third of seats for women in Parliament and state legislatures. They highlight that CM Naveen Patnaik had previously sought support for this legislation in 2018. BJD, with five women among its 12 Lok Sabha members, views Odisha as a model state for women's quota, having introduced reservations in local elections in 1991 through Biju Patnaik's efforts.