New Delhi:
When the BJP staunchly supported the Women's Bill in the Rajya Sabha, its leaders said they knew this was the right thing to do.
For this, they were thanked by a grateful government, whose own allies had refused to support the bill. Among them, Mamata Banerjee and Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh. While Mamata's party abstained during the vote, Lalu and Mulayam threatened to withdraw support to the government if the bill was pushed through without changes.
The BJP stood rock-steady, insisting only that a debate be held in the Rajya Sabha before it was put to vote. The Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi expressed their thanks to the BJP and the Left for helping the bill to clear its first hurdle.
There was little time for the BJP to bask in the glow of the stream of compliments. Like the Congress, there are MPs within the BJP who disagree with the bill, which sets aside 33% seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies. And their discontent was becoming vocal.
So on Thursday, senior BJP leaders including Sushma Swaraj and LK Advani met with their MPs who out listed why they're unhappy. Leading the list of complaints is that while the BJP acted as a mature Opposition, it's Sonia Gandhi who has walked away with all the credit for pushing the bill through. The dissenters also point out that by supporting a bill that was rejected by Lalu and Mulayam, the BJP has possibly irritated the Yadavs. This could endanger the Opposition's plans of uniting against the government on the issue of rising prices. Another major feat factor: that in the Bihar elections later this year, the backward classes may vote for Laul, who has repeatedly said that the bill does not protect the interests of Dalits and Muslims.
The BJP has made it clear that it will issue a whip when the bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha. Mercifully for the party, that could take some time. The government is focusing on pushing through its Finance Bill first. In doing so, it hopes to buy time to placate the Yadavs, who, between them, have 26 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
That gives the BJP some breathing room to talk its own MPs into submission, though a few said on record on Thursday that they will defy their party whip on the Women's Bill.
For this, they were thanked by a grateful government, whose own allies had refused to support the bill. Among them, Mamata Banerjee and Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh. While Mamata's party abstained during the vote, Lalu and Mulayam threatened to withdraw support to the government if the bill was pushed through without changes.
The BJP stood rock-steady, insisting only that a debate be held in the Rajya Sabha before it was put to vote. The Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi expressed their thanks to the BJP and the Left for helping the bill to clear its first hurdle.
There was little time for the BJP to bask in the glow of the stream of compliments. Like the Congress, there are MPs within the BJP who disagree with the bill, which sets aside 33% seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies. And their discontent was becoming vocal.
So on Thursday, senior BJP leaders including Sushma Swaraj and LK Advani met with their MPs who out listed why they're unhappy. Leading the list of complaints is that while the BJP acted as a mature Opposition, it's Sonia Gandhi who has walked away with all the credit for pushing the bill through. The dissenters also point out that by supporting a bill that was rejected by Lalu and Mulayam, the BJP has possibly irritated the Yadavs. This could endanger the Opposition's plans of uniting against the government on the issue of rising prices. Another major feat factor: that in the Bihar elections later this year, the backward classes may vote for Laul, who has repeatedly said that the bill does not protect the interests of Dalits and Muslims.
The BJP has made it clear that it will issue a whip when the bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha. Mercifully for the party, that could take some time. The government is focusing on pushing through its Finance Bill first. In doing so, it hopes to buy time to placate the Yadavs, who, between them, have 26 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
That gives the BJP some breathing room to talk its own MPs into submission, though a few said on record on Thursday that they will defy their party whip on the Women's Bill.
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