Odia Women in Polls is a citizen-led campaign launched by Pranay Manjari Samal in 2019, demanding that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) commit to fielding 33% women candidates in the Odisha State Assembly elections. Despite Odisha’s progressive steps, being the first state to pass the 33% Women’s Reservation Bill at the state level and ensuring 50% reservation for women in panchayat elections—the representation of women in the Vidhan Sabha remained dismal. The campaign, hosted on Change.org, sparked widespread public support and media attention, urging the ruling party to extend its Lok Sabha commitment of 33% women tickets to the state level. Its success was marked by a formal response from BJD spokesperson Dr. Sasmit Patra, acknowledging the petition and reaffirming the party’s broader commitment to women’s political empowerment. This public engagement showcased the power of grassroots digital advocacy in holding political parties accountable and pushing for gender-balanced governance in Odisha. However its still a struggle and very slow progress. While in 2019 the number of female MLAs increased from 11 to 14 out of 147, in 2024 it again decreased from 14 to 11 showing how slow and inconsistent the progress has been.
