April 4: The all-party meeting called here on Monday by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to resolve the impasse over the Women’s Reservation Bill should provide an indication if it would be possible to bring it before the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Budget Session after Parliament reconvenes next week.

Mr Mukherjee, who is also Leader of the Lok Sabha, has called the meeting at the instance of some key opponents of the measure, particularly the three Yadavs — Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Yadav.
The Congress Party and law minister M. Veerappa Moily have been insistent that the bill, already passed by the Rajya Sabha, would be brought before the Lower House for passage in the current session without any dilution. Party insiders, however, say that the key priority for both the government and the Congress leadership is governance — as indicated by the reconstitution of the National Advisory Council with Mrs Sonia Gandhi as its chairperson.
While the government is keen to go ahead with the bill, the possibility of it being put on hold, at least for some time, cannot be ruled out entirely. A key UPA strategist and troubleshooter noted that there have been earlier instances when a bill approved by one House of Parliament could not be passed in the other one.
The government is also unwilling to use any kind of force to get the bill passed in the Lok Sabha after the use of marshals in the Rajya Sabha attracted considerable criticism in political circles. Another factor might be the increasing divisions within the Opposition NDA on the bill — with the JD(U) and Shiv Sena refusing to toe the BJP’s line supporting it.
The bill’s opponents have made it clear that if brought in its present form they will oppose it tooth and nail on the floor of the Lok Sabha. They have, however, indicated that they might be willing to discuss it if the government was prepared to dilute the percentage of reservation or in certain other provisions.
But if the government finally decides to go ahead, despite any problems with governance this might later cause, the BJP and the Left parties — among the bill’s strongest champions — will have no excuse to dilute their stand in any way.
Besides, the AIADMK, BJD, TDP, Akali Dal and RLD are also supporting the landmark bill, which provides for 33 per cent reservations for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. The bill has left a number of first-time male MPs in all parties extremely jittery about their political future.
 

Age Correspondent
New Delhi