Raipur: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on March 8 expressed the hope that "something positive" would emerge out of the efforts of political parties to evolve a consensus over the Constitution amendment bill providing reservation for women in Parliament and Assemblies.

"Congress stand is very clear in this matter. We are strongly in favour of reservation for women. Political parties are talking unitedly on the issue," she told reporters adding that she expected "something positive would emerge out of it".

"Unless all women are empowered, we cannot take the country fully forward," she said in a message on the issue on Women's Day on March 8.

Gandhi was in Raipur on a day's visit to inaugurate work on creating a new capital at Paunta, 30 km away from here, for the tribal-dominated Chhatisgarh. She was accompanied by her political secretary Ambika Soni and senior leader Motilal Vora.

PTI