Sharad, Nitish talk out differences over quota bill

When Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav famously opposed the Women’s Reservation Bill saying it would benefit only “par-kati mahilaen” (short-haired women, meaning urban women), he wouldn’t have expected his own partymen to not agree.

But after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, also from the JD-U, came out in support of the bill — against his party chief’s stand — the party has been plunged into a crisis.

A division has occurred in the JD-U’s ranks with five of seven Rajya Sabha (RS) members willing to vote in favour of the bill.
On Monday, while members of parliament (MPs) from Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal and Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party disrupted RS proceedings to ensure that the bill does not get passed, the JD-U chief was convincing his MPs to vote against the bill.

He called two meetings with his MPs from both Houses of Parliament but they remained inconclusive. More embarrassing for Sharad Yadav is that almost 10 of his 20 MPs from the Lok Sabha are in favour of the bill. The two RS MPs who are with Yadav are the ailing George Fernandez (who is not likely to attend the House proceedings) and Ejaz Ali, who is suspended. RS JD-U MP Shivanand Tiwari, however, said consultations were on within the party to evolve a consensus, but a party source said little would come out of it as the five MPs had made up their minds.

Unlike the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and Left, the JD-U hasn’t issued a whip asking its members to vote for or against the bill. But a source did not denied the possibility of a whip being issued in case the JD-U chief fails to convince his MPs to take a unified stand.