NEW DELHI, Apr 24: The Congress on Friday said the Panchayati Raj system has been an important medium for women’s empowerment and its further revival is far more urgent than increasing the strength of Lok Sabha to ensure personal political survival.
On Panchayati Raj day, the Congress also said that it is fully committed to strengthening the spirit of Gram Swaraj and congratulated the village heads and members of the panchayats and local bodies across the country
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge credited the party for implementing the 33 percent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and said it was Rajiv Gandhi, who implemented the 73rd Constitutional Amendment that gave institutional strength to Panchayati Raj and brought democracy down to the grassroots level.
“The Congress Party is fully committed to strengthening the spirit of Gram Swaraj,” Kharge said in a post on X, adding that Panchayati Raj institutions form the strong foundation of our democracy.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the Panchayati Raj system has given the women of the country a golden opportunity to lead and ensure their participation in politics.
“Panchayati Raj has also been an important medium for women’s empowerment,” Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
Through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment since 1993, at least 33 percent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions was ensured, he said. “Today, in many states, this has been increased to 50 percent,” the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.
Gandhi said the result of this historic initiative by the Congress is that today, nearly 14 to 15 lakh elected women representatives are playing an active role in Panchayati Raj institutions across the country – which is one of the largest democratic participation of women in the world.
He congratulated all heads, panchs and members of local bodies in the country on Panchayati Raj Day.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said April 24 is celebrated as National Panchayati Raj Day. On this day in 1993, the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution was enacted and this introduced the extraordinarily detailed Articles 243-A to 243-O in the Constitution to vastly empower panchayats and make them the foundations of our polity.
Today there are about 2.6 lakh gram panchayats, over 6,700 intermediate panchayats, and 673 zilla parishads, he said. This truly transformational initiative was due to the insistence and persistence of Rajiv Gandhi, he noted.
“It was he who ensured that one-third of the elected seats in Panchayati Raj institutions would be reserved for women, including for women belonging to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities. It was entirely his contribution that today there are around 32 lakh elected representatives in panchayati raj institutions, of whom about 15 lakh are women,” Ramesh said.
He said this amendment (64th) had originally been introduced in mid-1989, but after passage in Lok Sabha it could not pass in Rajya Sabha because of the opposition by the BJP.
Noting that Article 243-D (6) also provides for reservation for OBCs in panchayat bodies, he said many states have taken advantage of this provision.
“It was the Dr. Manmohan Singh government that had created the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in May 2004 and launched the historic MGNREGA in Feb 2006 that gave gram panchayats a pivotal role in planning and execution. MGNREGA was repealed in December 2025 by the Modi Government.
“The further revival of panchayats (and nagarpalikas that form Articles 243-P to 243-ZG) is far more urgent than simply increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha to ensure personal political survival,” Ramesh said in his post.
Kharge quoted Mahatma Gandhi, who had said: “Panchayati Raj represents the true spirit of democracy”.
He said Panchayati Raj institutions form the strong foundation of our democracy and greeted fellow citizens on National Panchayati Raj Day “The real strength of India resides in its villages, and thus, the empowered development of villages is the path to the nation’s progress,” he noted.
“Today, 33 percent women’s reservation in the country’s panchayats is due solely to the Congress. In some places, it is up to 50 percent. As a result, 15 lakh women are part of panchayats and are contributing politically at the grassroots level. No other country has as many women engaged in grassroots politics. This is a major achievement for India,” the Congress chief said.
He said Manmohan Singh declared this day as ‘National Panchayati Raj Day’ in the year 2010.
Gandhi, in his post, said Panchayati Raj has been a strong foundation in the direction of realising the dream of Mahatma Gandhi’s Gram Swaraj.
“Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ji empowered India’s villages by connecting them to the mainstream of the country. He ensured rights for every section and guaranteed public participation through the Panchayati Raj system,” he said. (Agencies)
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