Why these polls could be a watershed moment for women in Indian politics

India is ranked 149th of 193 nations in 2018 on the percentage of women in lower house, according to data released by Inter-Parliamentary Union

India’s regional parties have done what two decades of governments in New Delhi could not -- instituted a quota system to lift more women into parliament.

The All India Trinamool Congress in West Bengal -- the country’s fourth most populous state -- has committed to fielding more than 41 per cent female candidates in next month’s federal election, while Biju Janata Dal, in the eastern state of Odisha, said its tickets will feature over 30 percent women. Their actions will intensify pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress to do the same.

The development is also