Click to play videoNew Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi who is believed to have strongly favoured the passing of the Women's Reservation Bill talked exclusive to CNN-IBN. Our correspondent Pallavi Ghosh spoke to the lady of the moment.
Pallavi Ghosh: Today we have the woman of the moment Sonia Gandhi. First your comments - this is a huge achievement for the Cong, for the UPA and for you personally.
Sonia Gandhi: Yes, of course we have been waiting for years - because you will know that it was my husband Rajiv Gandhi's vision and promise. And Panchayati Raj, in fact, was going to be the beginning - so I am really happy, of course for my party but also for all the women of the country.
Pallavi Ghosh: We saw those scenes inside the Rajya Sabha - did that upset you? Did you think at some point of time that you will put it off for a little later, or were you determined?
Sonia Gandhi:: We have been waiting for so long - everybody, all parties had been aware of the content of the bill. It came to the cabinet on the 26th I am told...our coalition partners welcomed it. And Mamataji (Mamata Banerjee) almost, you know, stood up to welcome it...so when that happened we had of course the BJP supporting it, the Left supporting it - so where was the need to wait?
Pallavi Ghosh: Mamataji also absented from the voting process
Sonia Gandhi:: I don't have details of that particular happening, I will find out and speak to her, and I am not quite sure why she was upset.
Pallavi Ghosh: And Lalu and Mulayam Singh Yadav
Sonia Gandhi: Of course we understand their compulsion, their problems - I hope they will understand and they will look at the larger picture, why can't women after all be in power?
Pallavi Ghosh: Last question, we have a lot of women working for CNN-IBN, any message for them today?
Sonia Gandhi: I am congratulating them, I am so happy for them, and I hope more and more of them leave journalism and get into politics. Thank you so much.
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