UPA Govt couldn’t pass Women’s Bill on International Women’s Day

UPA Govt. couldn’t pass the historic  Women’s Bill, which seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Parliament and state assemblies, on International Women’s day following the opposition of  RJD,  SP and BSP. There had been day-long chaos at the Rajya Sabha leading to repeated adjournments.
The opposition attacked the Chair,  torn the Bill and threw pen  stands, papers and microphone around. So, the voting on  the  bill  was deferred till Tuesday.
Earlier, SP and the RJD on Monday withdrew their support to the UPA government over the Women’s Bill issue.

The reservation bill was first mooted in 1996 and 14 years and several governments in between, the bill finally appears poised to become reality.

The UPA government seems comfortably poised to sail through the two-thirds majority number of 155 of the present 233 strength of the Rajya Sabha. The Congress is, in fact, eyeing a support number of at least 180 MPs of the Upper House for the bill.

The Congress-led UPA government has already enlisted the support of major players of the main Opposition camp, NDA.

The BJP has pledged its support to the bill and also issued a whip to its MPs to vote in favour of the bill.

The Left parties have also been traditionally in support of the women’s reservation Bill.

Other players, including Shiv Sena, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and National Conference, are alsi in favour of the bill.

RJD, SP and Mayavati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have been opposing the Bill, at least in the present form. The three parties, which have their base in the minority and backward castes votes, have demanded ‘quota-within-quota’ for women of minority community and backward castes. ” Women’s Bill” - a dream for ever?  Wait and see.

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