BJP's Lok Sabha MPs split over women's quota bill

New Delhi: The United Progressive Alliance Government secured Rajya Sabha's endorsement on the historic Women's Reservation Bill but its fate still seems uncertain.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which helped the Government push the Bill through the Rajya Sabha, is now facing revolt from some of its Lok Sabha MPs.

With some BJP Lok Sabha MPs not in favour of the Women's Reservation Bill, the UPA Government is unlikely to introduce the Bill in the Lok Sabha before April 12, when the House returns from a three-week break.

The MPs have told BJP senior leaders that no whip should be issued to vote in favour of the Bill as it may be defied.

"Few MPs did come to me to express apprehension on Women's Reservation Bill. Ultimately view of the party will prevail," said BJP's Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha, Ramesh Bais.

But BJP MP Yogi Adityanath said that they must not be coerced into voting for the Bill.

"Most of the MPs are opposing the Bill. Let there be a voting on the Bill without issuing a whip," said Adityanath.

Another BJP leader, Hukum Dev Narayan Yadav, said the party decision regarding Womens' Reservation Bill would be binding on all.

"If minorities or Dalits have any issues with the Bill, then it is the Government's prerogative to sit with them and talk to them and give them assurance regarding the Bill," said Yadav.

The view that the BJP was trapped by the Congress-led UPA on the Women's Reservation Bill, too, is gaining ground.

Sources say BJP leaders are upset with the Government over the manner in which marshals were used to evict the suspended Rajya Sabha members who sought to block the Bill.

A section of the MPs also feel that the Bill was just a device to split the Opposition which was gearing up to corner the Government on price rise issue.

Top BJP leaders will meet Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, to discuss the issues raised by party MPs. Senior leaders Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Murli Manohar Joshi and Bais will attend the meeting.

The UPA needs the support of the BJP in Lok Sabha to garner a two-thirds majority for the Bill to be passed.

BJP's ally the Janata Dal (United) is also facing a split over the Bill with one group of MPs supporting party chief Sharad Yadav, who is opposing the Bill in its present form, and the other group toeing party leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's stand of backing the Bill.

Even the UPA is facing the revolt of allies like Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress on the Bill. The Trinamool, which has two MPs in the Rajya Sabha, abstained from voting on the Bill in the House on Tuesday.

Known opponents Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav have already threatened to withdraw their support to the UPA Government over the issue of reserving 33 per cent of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women if the Bill is passed.

With West Bengal Assembly elections due in 2011, Mamata has been demanding a quota for Muslim women within the 33 per cent reservation proposed in the Bill.

Lalu, Mulayam and Sharad Yadav have been protesting against the Bill demanding that women from the Dalit, other backward castes and Muslim communities should have a separate quota within the 33 per cent.