After Pawar, Odisha CM receives Gowda’s support over Women’s Reservation Bill

Bhubaneswar: After being backed by NCP President Sharad Pawar, Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has received the support of H. D. Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister and National President of Janata Dal (Secular) party, towards his attempt of ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State legislatures.

Speaking to Patnaik over telephone, Gowda announced his full support in passing the Women’s Reservation Bill, sources said.

A BJD delegation, comprising MPs Nagendra Pradhan and Rabindra Kumar Jena, had yesterday met Gowda and handed over the CM’s letter to the ex-PM seeking support for the reservation.

Patnaik had earlier asked party’s Ministers, MLAs and MPs to meet the leaders of seven national parties and 15 regional parties in this connection.

Worth mentioning, Patnaik had on December 4 written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the latter to initiate the move to ensure the one-third reservation for women.

He had also on December 6 written to Chief Ministers of all states seeking their cooperation to ensure the reservation for women.

Notably, the Women’s Reservation Bill, which proposed to amend the Constitution of India to reserve 33% of all seats in the Lower house of Parliament of India, the Lok Sabha, and in all state legislative assemblies for women, was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014.