NEW DELHI, July 12: The Women's Reservation Bill which will be introduced in Parliament tomorrow has put the Samata Party, a partner in the ruling front, in a dilemma. The party is yet to decide whether to vote for or against the Bill if the Government goes ahead without incorporating its demand of reserving part of the quota for other backward castes.``We have not so far decided whether to vote for the Bill or not without the incorporation of our demand. In view of the urgency of the situation, my party will pursue the matter for the sake of lakhs of women belonging to the OBC category,'' Union Railway Minister and senior Samata Party leader Nitish Kumar told The Indian Express today.He, however, added that his party was hopeful that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will incorporate his party's demand before introducing the Bill in Parliament. Reiterating his party's demand, Kumar said: ``We just can't ignore them (women belonging to the OBCs). We have to give them adequate representation inthe polity.'' He added: ``Despite the fact that the Joint Select Committee of Parliament had rejected our views over the Reservation Bill, we are confident that the Centre will incorporate our demand before tabling the Bill in the House."Kumar said that as the Government is firm to amend the Constitution, it will hardly make any difference to add a clause for the OBCs. Kumar added that the Government must earmark reservation for women belonging to the OBCs keeping in view the population of each state. ``My point is to give adequate opportunity to the OBCs and provide them opportunities to join the mainstream of political and economic development of the country.''Meanwhile, the ruling BJP and Congress have also said they will issue whip to their MPs to support the Constitution Amendment Bill that requires two-thirds support for its passage.Meanwhile, the Biju Janata Dal has decided to extend full support to the proposed Women's Bill. Announcing this at a news conference here on Sunday, president ofBJD and Union Minister for Steel and Mines Naveen Patnaik said his party would support the cause with all its might inside and outside the Parliament.Patnaik said the need for reservation of seats for women in the elected bodies was realised for the first time in the country by late Biju Patnaik and the latter even ensured that the relevant law was amended in the state assembly to provide reservations of not less than one-third of the total seats for women in the local bodies.
