Parliament session begins today, parties pitch for women quota bill
Parliament starting Monday, the first such session to be held in the new Parliament building, is likely to see near unanimity across parties to bring in the women's reservation bill. At the all-party meeting called by the government on the eve of the session, parties from the ruling and Opposition side pitched for the women's reservation bill.
The demand for the women's reservation bill was raised by Trinamool's Derek O'Brien and was supported by almost all parties barring a few including the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) and Jharkhand Mukhti Morcha (JMM), who were demanding reservation within this reservation for women from SC, ST and OBC categories in the proposed bill.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, BJD leader Pinaki Misra said, «there was near unanimity at the meeting on the women's reservation bill and it is an idea whose time has come».
The women's reservation bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies.
BJP ally and NCP leader Praful Patel said, «We appeal to the government to pass the women's reservation bill in this Parliament session.» He also said Parliament will shift to the new building on Ganesh Chaturthi on Tuesday.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters that the government had informed them that it was a regular session of Parliament.
«Only the government knows what its intention is.
