Kalaburgi, March 8 -- Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday called upon women to make preparations to contest the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in view of the Women's Reservation Bill taking effect.

"The women's reservation bill is likely to take effect in 2028. Prepare to contest the elections. No one can stop you in a democratic set-up," he said while participating in an International Women's Day function here.

"Women are in power from panchayat to parliament. There is already a 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayats. But many men run the show through women members of the family. It will all stop in the future as women will be capable of running the show themselves," he added.

He noted that th...