Women’s bill moves one small step forward

By the UPA’s new formulation of the bill, which was placed in the meeting by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, the number of seats in the Lok Sabha (currently 545) would be increased by one-third and then reserved for women. Despite today’s movement, though, the bill is not likely to be tabled in the current session.

‘‘No decision has been taken, it is an ongoing process. For a consensus, all parties — UPA partners, allies, the Left Front, Samajwadi Party and BSP — took part in a free and frank discussion. Almost all parties, except the SP, are in favour of women’s reservation,’’ Congress general secretary Ambika Soni said after the meeting. The PM told the gathering that the government feels ‘‘encouraged and empowered’’ by the discussion, she added.

There was reason enough. The Left agreed to scale down its pitch in the event of a consensus. ‘‘Except for SP and RJD, majority of the political parties are in support of the original bill. However, we left it to the government to take a final decision on whether to bring the old bill or the new formulation,’’ CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said. ‘‘…the Left would not stand in the way if there is a consensus (on the new formulation).’’

Even the CPI, which is ‘‘emotionally committed’’ to Geeta Mukherjee’s formulation of the bill, said if the government could evolve an agreement on the new formulation within a timeframe, they would not stand in the way.

The lone rebel who left the brainstorming session with the PM and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi a little earlier was Mulayam Singh Yadav. ‘‘We stick to our stand, we are against 33 per cent reservation. Women should get their right, but there’s already 22 per cent reservation for SC/STs. If 33 per cent for women is added to that, it becomes 55 per cent reserved seats. Only 45 per cent seats will be left for backward and upper castes and others,’’ Mulayam said.

BSP chief Mayawati, meanwhile, said she inserted the clause that ‘‘there should be a quota within quota for the SC/STs and minority and backward classes, if there is such a demand’’. The other Dalit leader and UPA partner Ram Vilas Paswan, however, said the Lok Janashakti Party would go with the bill, in the new or old formulation.

RJD chief and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav agreed. ‘‘Whether it is old or new reservation bill, we are supporting. But a separate quota should be earmarked for Muslims, SC, ST, depressed classes and OBC.’’