Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 6 (ANI): Replying to the letter, written by Telangana Chief Minister KCR's daughter, K Kavitha, to her over the Women's Reservation Bill, YSRTP chief YS Sharmila on Wednesday said that the BRS itself did not allocate over 5 per cent tickets to women candidates in any given election since the formation of the state.  
This came a day after the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha on Tuesday wrote a letter to the chiefs of all 47 political parties including YS Sharmila, calling upon them to set aside political differences and prioritise the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament. 
In a reply to K Kavitha, YSR Telangana Party chief YS Sharmila urged her to bring change on the home turf first before covering the country. 
"While I acknowledge the receipt of the letter from you, in which you sought my support for the Women’s Reservation Bill, I fail to understand how you can take this fight to the national platform, without doing justice to women in Telangana. In the three successive Assembly elections or since the formation of Telangana State, your party did not allocate more than 5 per cent of tickets to women candidates. This is a glaring irony that the daughter of a chief minister does not question her father over this gross underrepresentation of women in the State Assembly, as well as in his cabinet, but will wage a relentless battle in Delhi. I think the first step to prove your sincerity on this issue must be towards ensuring more women representation in the Telangana Assembly," Sharmila wrote. 
"As a woman, I stand for increased representation of women in the State Assemblies and in the Parliament. I at the same time, cannot be a part of your larger political game well-timed to reap electoral benefits. However, I offer to support you in this cause, if you take up the issue and impress upon your father to begin this exercise immediately in the state. We are sure this is possible and easier to implement for your government. So, win on the home turf first, and then cover the country," she added. 
Earlier on Tuesday, in a separate letter to the presidents of political parties including Bharatiya Janata Party chief JP Nadda, Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party, DMK's MK Stalin, NCP's Sharad Pawar, Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge, YSRCP's Jagan Mohan Reddy, Kavitha urged them to recognise the urgency of this matter and throw their weight behind the Women's Reservation Bill.
Earlier in March this year, she sat on a hunger strike demanding the tabling and passing of the Women's Reservation Bill and has been engaging with political parties and civil society organisations across India to escalate the demand for the Bill. (ANI)