Women’s Bill in LS after Pranab talks to all sides
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Mr Mukherjee, also Leader of the Lok Sabha, will have a delicate task to keep ally Trinamul Congress in good humour as well, after the latter demanded reservations for minorities as part of the bill, which is also being endorsed by the Samajwadi Party, RJD and Janata Dal (U). The Yadav leaders of these three parties had earlier consistently been opposing the bill in its present form.
Ms Mayawati’s BSP, on the other hand, is opposing the bill for different reasons. Other allies of the Congress, including the DMK, NCP and National Conference, have so far not taken any strong stand regarding minorities and OBCs. The government might feel compelled to modify the bill only if OBC and minority representatives come out openly against the existing bill both within and outside Parliament.
However, government managers on Thursday remained tightlipped on whether it was open to amendments to the bill, or whether it would talk to its opponents only on the basis of the bill as passed by the Rajya Sabha earlier this week.
The divisions in the Opposition ranks has also given the government a little breathing space to formulate strategy on how to get the bill passed in the Lok Sabha, and then get it endorsed by half the state Assemblies. As of Thursday, the Congress, BJP, DMK, AIADMK, CPI(M), CPI, Akali Dal, BJD and TDP are backing the bill in its present form, while Bihar chief miniser Nitish Kumar is all set to help the Congress on the matter.
At the same time, neither the BJP nor the SP, BSP or RJD really want to do anything that might threaten the government’s survival because none of these parties are in any position to face Lok Sabha elections ahead of schedule or have any alternative government in mind.
Government sources said Mr Mukherjee, who had led the prolonged negotiations with the Left parties on the question of the Indo-US nuclear deal in the UPA’s first term, is likely to hold talks with different parties on the women’s bill during the recess in the Budget Session. The first phase of the session is due to end on March 16, and Parliament is to reconvene for the remaining part of the session on April 12.
Senior ministers Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee and T.R. Baalu, during talks with Mr Mukherjee and other Congress leaders on Thursday, impressed on them the need to keep everyone on board, UPA sources said.
The Yadav trio — Mulayam Singh, Lalu Prasad and Sharad — opposed to the bill in the present form were also present at the meeting.
Mr Mukherjee also held discusssions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi at the Congress core group meeting, where the deadlock on the bill’s journey to the Lok Sabha was broken. A formal announcement was made by Mr Mukherjee later in the Lok Sabha.
A Union minister said the government was open to amendments to the bill. Parliamentary affairs minister P.K. Bansal was non-committal on whether the talks would be an all-party affair or only with those who were opposed to it.
The government’s strategy appears to be to get the financial business, including voting on the appropriation bills, completed before the Lok Sabha adjourns for the nearly four-week recess.
“We have got our demand met — with the government agreeing to have an all-party meeting” — was the refrain from the three top Yadav leaders after theirf meeting with Mr Mukherjee.
The government appeared to hint that it was not possible to bring the bill in the first phase of the Budget Session, with Mr Bansal indicating that the talks with all parties concerned were unlikely in the next few days. “We will bring the bill only after talking to all concerned,” he said.
Ms Mamata Banerjee, who faces Assembly elections in West Bengal next year, appears to be working in tandem with the
Yadav trio. This appears to be because her state has an estimated 27 per cent Muslim population. Ms Banerjee had a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi late on Wednesday night.
Mr Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha at 2 pm on Thursday, when the House reassembled after two adjournments: “The government will complete the process of consultations with all concerned... I think this assurance will assuage the feelings of all members, and business would be conducted smoothly.”
The standoff had prevented normal functioning of the Lok Sabha for the past four days as those opposed to the bill had been disrupting the House. “I would like to inform members that it has been agreed to conduct smooth business of the House for the remaining period,” Mr Mukherjee said, adding: “I would request colleagues to help the Chair to conduct normal business.”
Age Correspondents
