Women's groups welcome nomination of Pratibha Patil

New Delhi, Jun 15 (UNI) The nomination of Ms. Pratibha Patil for the Presidential polls brings new hope to the women's groups working for political empowerment of the fairer sex who feel that finally women have got recognition as capable leaders.

Dr Ranjana Kumari, President Women Power Connect (WPC), said this augured well for the women of the country. She hoped that UPA would further introduce the long-pending women's reservation bill in Parliament to ensure more political participation of women.

"WPC welcomes UPA's befitting tribute to Indian women on the 60th year of the country's Independence. We hope that in the same spirit, the UPA will introduce Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament," she said.

India has had many women as strong political leaders but a woman has yet to occupy the top post in the country, unlike its neighbours Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, who have already had women head of states.

Nominated by UPA-Left, Ms Patil is not the first woman candidate, as Captain Lakshmi Sehgal was nominated by the Left in the last Presidential elections. But if elected, Ms Patil would be the first woman President of India, which women's groups say would finally give due recognition to women as capable leaders.

Ms Patil, now Governor of Rajasthan, practiced law before she joined Congress, following which she was elected to the Maharashta Assembly in 1962. She served as the Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha and Chairperson of the House Committee in Lok Sabha. She stayed away from active politics till she was sworn in as Governor of Rajasthan in 2004.

UNI