The launch of a political party exclusively for women- the National Women's Party (NWP) - was announced in Mumbai on Monday with the motto of empowerment of the fair sex.

NWP's founder and chief Dr Swetha Shetty said apart from ensuring empowerment of women, the issues like getting 50 per cent reservation for them in Parliament and state assemblies, and betterment of soldiers and farmers, are their top priorities.

Dr Shetty, a medical practitioner-cum- activist from Hyderabad, said the NWP will contest 283 Lok Sabha seats - half of total seats - in upcoming polls.

Shetty, who has posters of herself shaking hand in the air like seasoned politicians, spoke at length about all the issues that surround the women in India.

However, there are issues that she is not willing to take a stand on. For example, on the issue of Sabarimala temple and the turmoil that the southern state in India has seen lately, the NWP chief that she is neutral on such issues. Justifying the stand of the temple authorities, she said, "It is not a question of equality. Women younger than the age of 10 and older than 60 are already going there. So this is not an issue at all."

However, on issues like that of the #MeToo movement she said that there should be more such platforms for women to speak up.

The party's logo has a young woman draped in a saree with folded hands in the middle. The party that proposes to be different from others has a tag line 'party of mothers'.

The NWP will contest only 50 per cent of the seats in the upcoming general elections and "leave the rest for women to contest". The party was earlier launched in Delhi and Bengaluru. Although they have not yet finalised their candidates, Dr Shetty said they are in the process of it.



In Maharashtra too, the process of selection of candidates is going on, said Shetty, who claims that they have already registered the party with the election commission but have not yet received a logo. The party intends to launch mobile apps for the safety of women as a part of its election campaign.

Dr Shetty conceded that the party could take men in its fold, however, that will happen only if men concede to the 50 per cent reservation demand.