BJD issues whip for RS MPs to support passage of Women's Reservation Bill

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has issued a three-line Whip to its Rajya Sabha MPs to be present in the House today and support the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill.

Women's Reservation Bill will be introduced in Rajya Sabha today for passage.

Ahead of the special session of Parliament on Thursday, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, "In Rajya Sabha, it (Women's Reservation Bill) will be brought through Supplementary Business as we were late in Lok Sabha yesterday."

"Lok Sabha Secretariat knows better about it. But I can tell you that discussion will be held in Rajya Sabha today," Meghwal confirmed.

Meanwhile, on the Bill being brought in the Upper House, BJD MP Sasmit Patra said that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has always supported the Bill and based on his instructions, BJD MPs will vote in favour of the passage of the Bill.

"Our leader CM Naveen Patnaik and BJD have always had the commitment that the Women's Reservation Bill be passed in the Parliament. BJD has been making this effort for several years. It is a historic day. It will be passed in the Rajya Sabha and as per the instruction by our leader Naveen Patnaik, a three-line whip has been issued for MPs of BJD. All our MPs will be present in the Rajya Sabha and all of them will vote in favour of the passage of the Bill," Patra said.

Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Women's Reservation Bill which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed after a reply by Law Minister Meghwal.

The Bill was passed following division with 454 members voting in favour of the legislation and two against it on the motion for the passage moved by Meghwal. The amendments moved by opposition members were negatived and there was also voting on clauses of the bill.

The 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' is the first bill passed by Lok Sabha during the special session after it shifted to the new Parliament building on Tuesday.

The 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' is a "historic legislation" that will further boost women's empowerment and will enable "greater participation of women in our political process," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday after the passage of the bill in Lok Sabha.

The bill was passed by a majority of the total membership of the House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of the House "present and voting".

The Rajya Sabha had earlier passed the Women's Reservation Bill in 2010 during the Congress-led UPA government but it was not taken up in the Lok Sabha and subsequently lapsed in the lower House of Parliament.

The government introduced the new bill on Tuesday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing the government's intention to bring 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam'.

The Special Session of Parliament began on Monday and will continue till Friday.