By IANS,
New Delhi : As the world celebrated International Women’s Day, India was Monday set to give its women 33 percent seats in legislative bodies through the landmark women’s reservation bill.
The introduction of the bill in the Rajya Sabha for consideration and passage has been timed with the 100th year of women’s day, celebrated every year March 8.
The bill now enjoys overwhelming support of the the ruling coalition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left. Some smaller parties have also voiced their support.
The upper house of parliament is likely to vote for the bill after the question hour gets over by noon. The bill is likely to to the Lok Sabha next week where the government has comfortable numbers in its support.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal was hopeful of the bill’s passage in the Rajya Sabha. But he didn’t rule out a possibility of the debate.
“We have to see how the house looks when it resumes. We might have a debate,” he said.
A smiling Brinda Karat of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) urged the government to go for the vote Monday.
“We are not afraid of the debate. But that will mean a delay of vote,” Karat told reporters, greeting the nation for “the historic moment that will change the face of Indian politics forever”.