By IANS,
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said he was confident that the women’s reservation bill that seeks to provide 33 percent reservation for women in legislative bodies will be passed in parliament.
The bill will be introduced in the Rajya Sabha Monday, International Women’s Day.
The legislation has been pending for over 13 years — it was first brought to parliament by the H.D. Deve Gowda government in 1996.
In its present form, the Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, 2008, has the backing of the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left. But it is being opposed by the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal-United.
For the bill to be passed, it has to be supported by two-thirds of those present and voting. This figure should also be at least 50 percent of the total number of MPs in the house.