Promotions quota bill in Lok Sabha today

NEW DELHI: The Constitution amendment bill providing for quota in promotions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs is likely to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Constitution (117th Amendment) bill, passed by Rajya Sabha on Monday with an overwhelming majority, would be discussed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and put to vote before the winter session wraps up.

The quota in promotions bill had put the Congress-led UPA government in a tight spot with its outside supporters - SP and BSP - taking diametrically opposite positions on the bill. While BSP chief Mayawati had made a strong case for it, the Samajwadi Party was isolated in its opposition. Despite the repeated disruptions by SP, the government had finally managed to push through the bill in the Rajya Sabha, where 206 members backed it and 10 voted against the legislation. The situation has been tricky for UPA as both UP parties had bailed out the government in the crucial FDI policy vote.

While SP had staged a walk out in both the Houses of Parliament, BSP had stunned everyone by doing a sharp about-turn in the Rajya Sabha and voted in favour of the policy. - Our Political Bureau