The talk of introducing the women’s reservation bill, paving way for providing 33 % quota in seats for women in parliament has come to the fore once again, this time by the BJP which is acting as a champion of women’s cause.
The BJP’s main leader and its prime ministerial candidate, Mr.L.K.Advani, calling upon the Congress led UPA government to reintroduce the women’s bill in the forthcoming budget session and pass it immediately.He also assured of BJP’s support for the passing of the bill in the parliament. And also call upon the government to refer it in the Presidential address also in the joint parliament session.
BJP’s Mahila Morcha President Kiran Maheswari also call upon the government in a mahila morcha meeting organised by the BJP at the Ramlila grounds stating that the BJP had endorsed the women’s reservation as early as 1994 in the Baroda National Executive of the BJP.
When the BJP introduced the Women’s Reservation Bill when Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, it could not pass the bill in the wake of the vociferous opposition from SP, Lalu and some other right wings.
The Congress government though it has promissed in the CMP (common minimum programme) to pass the women’s reservation bill, so far it has not taken any step.Hence, Advani and other leaders of BJP call upon the UPA government to pass it in this budget session itself.
It should also be noted that the women’s reservation bill has so far been not tabled eventhough 11 parliament sessions have passed away.
The women’s reservation bill though introduced in the year 1996 by the UPA government for the first time, despite of a few prime ministers have come and went, the bill could not be enacted into a law because of lack of consensus among the leaders.
However, in states like Tamil Nadu, in the local body elections women’s reservation has been provided for.Some parties like PMK are also openly championing the cause of Women’s reservation.