The Trinamool Congress today nominated Sushmita Dev, who had recently joined the party after quitting the Congress, to the Rajya Sabha. “We are extremely pleased to nominate Sushmita Dev to the Upper House of the Parliament. Mamata Banerjee’s vision to empower women and ensure their maximum participation in politics shall help our society to achieve much more!” TMC announced in a tweet today.

“I am overwhelmed. I Thank my leader Mamata Banerjee from the bottom of my heart. Her conviction to see more women in parliament is exemplary. I will do my very best,” said Dev.

https://twitter.com/SushmitaDevAITC/status/1437728415285530625

Sushmita Dev had joined the TMC on August 16 after resigning from the Congress. Recently, Dev has hit out at the Centre over women reservation bill terming it ‘social reform’.

“A commitment made repeatedly to the women of India, half the population, still awaited. This is not just a political reform in waiting but a social reform,” said Dev.

TMC MP Derek O’Brien had said that even after 25 years since the bill was introduced, it has not been passed. “Today makes it 25 years since the WOMEN’S RESERVATION BILL was introduced in Parliament. 25 years. No Bill passed. MO-SHA’s BJP even promised it in their 2014 Manifesto. FAIL,” he had said.

There are currently 11 women ministers in PM Narendra Modi’s cabinet after the recent reshuffle. At present, there are 79 women MPs in Lok Sabha and 27 in Rajya Sabha. Opposition parties including Congress, TMC and CPI-M have been targeting the Modi government over its failure to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill.