The government on Sunday convened an all-party meeting on the eve of the five-day Parliament session beginning Monday. Several ruling and opposition parties made a strong pitch for the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill during the special session.
Several leaders appealed to the government to table the long-pending bill and hoped that it would be passed with consensus.
What is the Women's Reservation Bill?
The bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
Demand for quota within quota
However, some regional parties demanded quota for backward classes and Scheduled Castes within the overall reservation for women, sources said.
This has been a key sticking point in the passage of the bill earlier.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "All opposition parties demanded the passage of women's reservation bill in this Parliament session."
BJP ally and NCP leader Praful Patel said, "We appeal to the government to pass the women's reservation bill in this Parliament session."
"We are hopeful that women's reservation bill will be passed with consensus if tabled in Parliament," he said.
Several regional parties including the BJD and the BRS also pushed for tabling of the Women's Reservation Bill.
BJD leader Pinaki Misra said a new era should begin from new Parliament building and the women's reservation bill should be passed.
"...We are very happy that the Centre called this short session and inaugurated the new Parliament building...we have demanded Women Reservation Bill...participation of women must increase...", added Misra.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the deputy leader of the House in Lok Sabha; Union Minister Piyush Goyal, the leader of the House in Rajya Sabha; and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi represented the government in the meeting.
Former prime minister and JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda, DMK's Kanimozhi, TDP's Ram Mohan Naidu, TMC's Derek O'Brien, AAP's Sanjay Singh, BJD's Sasmit Patra, BRS' K Keshava Rao, YSR Congress Party's V Vijayasai Reddy, RJD's Manoj Jha and JD(U)'s Anil Hegde and SP's Ram Gopal Yadav were also among those who attended the meeting.
(With PTI inputs)
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