Click to play videoNew Delhi: The UPA government has decided to go slow on the women's reservation bill. They might not table it in Lok Sabha in this session. With shrinking numbers, RJD and SP threatening withdrawal of support, and Mamata being upset, the bill and the government's future strategy seem uncertain.
The celebration may not spill over to Lok Sabha. Ironically, despite having more numbers it could be more difficult for the UPA government to press the button on the bill.
The first hurdle is ally Mamata Banerjee of Trinamool Congress which has 19 MPs in Lok Sabha. She refused to allow her MPs to vote for the bill in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. More than anything else, she is allergic to Left parties and cannot tolerate growing intimacy between Left parties and the UPA government.
After the bill was passed in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, an angry Mamata Bannerjee had asked, "Left has no credit. Why are they taking credit."
And, then it's the Yadav trio. Taken together, they account for 46 MPs. RJD and SP have already threatened to withdraw support to the UPA government. Hence, with the finance bill in the House, the UPA managers will prefer a go-slow for now.
With the mood in the House not conducive, sources say the government will buy time before presenting the bill in Lok Sabha. Since rule allows the bill to be tabled anytime during the government's five-year term, it may stretch to as late as 2014, just before the next Lok Sabha polls.
However, the bill is dear to Sonia who is confident of the bill getting through in Lok Sabha as well. But then for UPA2, it's equally important to push through with bold and reform policies.
UPA's shrinking majority on women's bill
Before Bill:
UPA with outside Support: 321
After Bill:
SP and RJD withdraw support -26
UPA can't bank on BSP -21
UPA left with exact half-way mark of 274
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