In one voice and with a thunderous applause, the national council of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday approved an amendment to the party constitution that will give its women workers 33 per cent reservation right from the “mandal” to all levels.
With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi having made repeated assertions about the Congress’ commitment to bringing about 33% reservation for women, the government is set to table the contentious Bill in Parliament during the on-going Budget session.
The first meeting of the key Parliamentary committee on Women's Reservation Bill today was a stormy affair with the supporters and opponents of the measure indulging in verbal duels over the contentious issue.
In an effort to get the Women’s Reservation Bill passed in Parliament, top leaders of the Congress, the RJD and Samajwadi Party are negotiating a possible compromise formula — scaling down the quantum of reservation from the proposed 33% to 20-25% without any provision for an OBC sub-quota.
Kumari Mayawati, a daughter of so-called untouchables and India’s most maverick politician, stunned the nation last year when she won majority control of India’s largest state with an inventive political coalition that fused votes from up and down the ancient Hindu caste pyramid.
The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may be on two sides of the political spectrum but are uncannily alike when it comes to giving women representation — 71 to be precise.
Disappointed with the UPA government's lack of commitment to gender issues, civil society representatives have demanded 33%reservation for women in Parliament and compulsory registration of marriages. These demands are part of the women's charter released by non-government organisations.
Lured by the promise of the Women's Reservation Bill introduced in the 14th Lok Sabha (Lower House), a larger number of women are seeking party tickets this time.