Govt may put women's bill on backburner

NEW DELHI: With Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad back on the government's side, the women's reservation Bill may be pushed out of the government's list of priorities for the time being.

Since UPA government has managed to break the unity of the entire Opposition that had ganged up against it during the price rise agitation, it may not want to bring the women's bill before the Lok Sabha soon as this is bound to alienate SP and RJD who are opposed to the bill unless there is a quota within quota.

Mulayam Singh and Lalu Prasad broke ranks with the Opposition by walking out of the LS before the voting on the cut motions brought by NDA and the Left parties, allowing the numbers to favour the government. Apart from RJD and SP, now that Mayawati's BSP has also come on the government's side and voted against the motion, the government will not like to lose the numbers by bringing in the women's bill. BSP is also against the bill in its present form.

The bill, which has already been passed in Rajya Sabha, needs a constitutional amendment that requires a two-thirds majority in Lok Sabha.

Getting the numbers may be difficult, with SP, RJD, BSP and even parties like JD(U) going against it.