The Hindu : BJP's nod for double member constituencies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 20, 2003

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BJP's nod for double member constituencies

By Neena Vyas

RAIPUR JULY 19. The BJP today put its weight behind a proposal to create 181 "double-member constituencies" in the Lok Sabha to give increased representation to women and find a way out of the impasse on the women's reservation bill. But not before a wrangle, for, the party's first attempt was to get by a smaller 20 per cent share for women (about 104 double-member constituencies). Only when some members protested strongly that the percentage of seats for women must be kept at 33 per cent was this accepted.

The BJP has thus given the green signal for a new bill on women's reservation, but whether this will get the required political support remains to be seen. In a resolution adopted on the second day of its national executive committee meeting here, the party stated its commitment to political reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies since its Vadodara national council session in 1994.

It said it fully supported the bill in its present form (reserving 33 per cent of all Lok Sabha seats for women), it had backed the Election Commission proposal that it be made mandatory for political parties to select 33 per cent women candidates, but neither of these proposals were acceptable to all parties. While stating its commitment to political empowerment of women, the BJP pointed out that the "double-member constituencies" proposal would actually increase women's representation in legislatures to 33 per cent unlike in the EC proposal where there was no certainty that women candidates would win.

Under the new proposal, 33 per cent of Lok Sabha seats will have two MPs, one in the general open category and one in the reserved category for women. A similar pattern was recommended for State Assemblies.

The resolution urged the NDA Government to take necessary action and introduce a suitable constitutional amendment bill in Parliament and State legislatures.

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