Govt will pass bill, letter is only for mileage, says BJP

Reacting to Congress President Sonia Gandhi's request to PM Narendra Modi for the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill, top BJP sources said that the government is already geared up to bring and pass the legislation during Parliament's winter session.

The letter is only a pre-emptive move to gain some mileage as the Congress is, perhaps, aware that the government is going to push the Bill, BJP sources said. "We are committed to giving reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. It is part of our 2014 election manifesto," said a senior BJP leader in the Lok Sabha.

Though there is still a lot of resistance to the Bill within the BJP as is in many Opposition parties, the ruling party is seriously looking at its passage, which will also win women's votes, sources said.

"A lot of progress has been made in this direction through informal talks within the party. The resistance has gone down," said the source. With the help of the Bill, the BJP wants to build on the PM's Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao and anti-triple talaq initiatives, and convey to about half of the electorate that the party wants its progress in a male-dominated society.