Under pressure from the Left allies, UPA decided to bring the Women's Reservation Bill in the current session of Parliament as questions remain.
NEW DELHI: Under pressure from the Left allies, UPA on Wednesday decided to bring the Women's Reservation Bill in the current session of Parliament but questions remained if the constitutional amendment measure would turn into a law.
A meeting of the UPA Coordination Committee held at the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official residence here gave signal that the ruling alliance was all for quota for the fair sex with Railway Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad initiating the move.
This was significant given that RJD had opposed an introduction of the bill in its original form which provides 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters after the meeting that the bill would be referred to the standing committee of Parliament since it was a constitution amendment bill.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is the leader of the House in Lok Sabha, said the bill would be tabled in the ongoing session.
Dasmunsi sought to dismiss suggestions that the move was an attempt to buy time on the controversial issue.
It is unclear how a two-thirds majority could be mustered for the bill as main opposition BJP has changed tack and now favours political parties to field one-third of their nominees from the fair sex.
The meeting, presided by Congress Chief and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, came in the backdrop of growing pressure from Left parties and women's organizations for early passage.
Delegations of women's groups belonging to political parties met Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee who had jocularly remarked that if he was a dictator, he would get the bill passed.
Dasmunsi was evasive on the time frame in which the bill would be passed and how the government would go about in view of the stance of the main opposition.
He said the government would decide the course of action after studying the report of the standing committee.
The Left parties, key outside supporters whose representatives were present at the UPA meet, had demanded that the UPA introduce the bill in its original form in the current session.
The meet was called to discuss greater floor coordination among UPA partners in the backdrop of the BJP-led opposition's move to target the government on a variety of issues.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}