India: Women’s reservation bill gets more support, opposition party split

The Women’s Reservation Bill which fixes a quota for women in Parliament and State legislatures, has got more support even from the opposition parties like the BJP while a key ally of the party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) , the Janata Dal (United) was speaking in different voices.

Sharp divisions emerged among within JD(U) with Bihar Chief Nitish Kumar supporting the measure pitting himself against his party president Sharad Yadav who is opposed to it. “The time has come to give women reservation in Parliament and State Assemblies. I will talk to Sharadji and appeal to him to ensure passage of the bill,” Kumar told reporters in Patna on Saturday. However, JD(U) President Sharad Yadav, a strong opponent of the Bill ever since its introduction in 1997, said his party’s opposition to the measure in its present form would continue. The Constitution Amendment Bill seeking to provide reservation for women in Lok Sabha and Assemblies is slated to come up for consideration on Monday in Rajya Sabha, where the JD(U) has seven MPs. The party also has 20 MPs in the Lok Sabha.

The Congress has hailed the statement of Nitish Kumar favouring the passage of women’s reservation Bill and hoped that others opposed to the legislation would also modify their views in its favour.

Another NDA ally Shiromani Akali Dal on Saturday said that it will support the passage of women’s reservation bill in Parliament. Party president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the party would also issue a whip to its MPs to ensure their presence in Parliament during voting on the bill.

The government is happily placed in the 245-member Rajya Sabha, where it has the support of 138 members of Congress, BJP and Left parties besides a number of small parties, which takes the backing to more than 165. The special majority required in the House with an effective strength of 233 is 155.

- Asian Tribune -