Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has asserted that women are compelled to put in significantly greater effort than men to establish themselves in the arena of mainstream politics, highlighting the structural and social challenges that continue to limit women’s political advancement.
Speaking at a public programme in Jaipur on Saturday, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party MLA drew attention to the progress made by women since Independence, while simultaneously underlining how far the country still has to go. She pointed out that women’s literacy in India stood at just 9 percent at the time of Independence, whereas it has now risen to around 65 percent. However, she noted that this improvement has not translated proportionately into political participation, observing that women constitute only about 10 percent of candidates contesting general elections today, compared to a mere 3 percent in 1957.
Raje, who also holds the position of national vice-president within the BJP, stressed that although women’s representation in electoral politics has undeniably improved over the decades, the pace of growth remains inadequate. According to her, numerical progress alone cannot be mistaken for equality, as women are still vastly underrepresented in decision-making bodies despite decades of democratic practice.
Elaborating further, she cited parliamentary figures to reinforce her argument. She noted that in the first Lok Sabha, there were only 22 women Members of Parliament, while the current strength stands at 74. Similarly, she pointed out that the Rajya Sabha had just 15 women members in 1952, a number that has increased to 42 today. Despite this rise, Raje maintained that the figures fall well short of what is required, asserting that women’s representation should be equal to that of men rather than remaining a small fraction.
The former chief minister also made it a point to acknowledge the contributions of several prominent women leaders and public figures, including those belonging to the Indian National Congress, the BJP’s principal rival. By doing so, she underlined that women’s leadership and capability transcend party lines and ideological differences.
Raje expressed particular admiration for Droupadi Murmu as well as former President Pratibha Patil, attributing their rise and achievements to the empowering role of education. She emphasised that access to education remains a critical factor in enabling women to break barriers and succeed in public life.
She also listed several accomplished women who have made a mark in politics and public service, including Kamla Beniwal, actor-turned-politician Hema Malini, Sumitra Singh, Dr Priyanka Chaudhary, Reeta Chaudhary, Dr Shikha Meel, Sushila Barala, Krishna Poonia, Kamla Kanswa, and Divya Maderna, noting that they have all earned recognition through perseverance and commitment.
Raje herself has long been a towering figure in Rajasthan politics. Belonging to the influential Scindia royal family, she created history by becoming the first woman chief minister of Rajasthan. She led the state government for two terms, first from 2003 to 2008 and later from 2013 to 2018, and was once regarded as the BJP’s principal face in the state.
Following the BJP’s victory in the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly elections, Raje was widely seen as a strong contender for a third term as chief minister. However, the party ultimately chose Bhajanlal Sharma for the post, a decision that surprised many political observers.
Since then, Raje has maintained a relatively low public profile and has appeared distant from active political engagement, a development that has fuelled speculation about a continuing rift between her and the BJP’s central leadership. Despite this, her recent remarks underscore her continued engagement with larger issues such as gender equality and women’s representation in Indian politics.
