August 25, 2005

 Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

  The withdrawal of support by the BJP to any proposal to reserve one-third seats for women has to be seen as a sabotage of the move by the UPA Government to bring the Bill to Parliament in fulfillment of the assurance given in the common minimum programme. It is indeed shocking that the BJP should execute such an about turn when only a few days ago the BJP had made a public commitment to support either of the two proposals to ensure one-third seats for women.  

The earlier alternative suggested by a former Election Commissioner of one-third reservation in party lists does not serve the purpose of ensuring at least one-third women in the elected bodies. It had even then been criticized and rejected by the majority of political parties including the BJP. 

The CPI(M) reiterates its demand to the Government to bring the original Bill to Parliament which has the support of all partners of the UPA coalition. The issue of reservation within reservation raised by Shri Laloo Yadav can be taken up separately as suggested by the Select Committee headed by Gita Mukherjee.