Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend a meeting of all political parties in the Lok Sabha on the women’s reservation bill here Monday, a Trinamool Congress leader said Saturday.
The Trinamool Congress, the second largest party in the Congress-led ruling coalition, had abstained from voting on the women’s quota bill in the Rajya Sabha March 9.

“Mamataji will attend the meeting,” Trinamool chief whip in the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay told IANS.

However, the party did not reveal the strategy to be adopted in the meeting.

The meeting has been convened by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also leader of the Lok Sabha. The bill is expected to be brought before the Lok Sabha in the second part of the budget session commencing April 15.

Mamata had demanded reservation for Muslims within the bill which provides for 33 percent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state legislatures.

The decision to hold the party leaders’ meeting comes against the backdrop of the government’s assurance to hold consultations before the bill is tabled in the lower house of parliament.

The bill was passed in Rajya Sabha amid strong protests from the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), a section of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

These parties have demanded a quota for weaker sections within the 33 percent reservation for women.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left parties support the bill in its present form.

Leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Lok Sabha, Basudeb Acharia, who will also attend the meeting, said his party supported the bill and there is no change in its position.

The Rajya Sabha witnessed uproarious scenes during the passing of the bill, with seven opposition members forcefully evicted from the house by the marshals.