New Delhi: A day after the controversial Women's Reservation Bill was stalled in the Lok Sabha, a women's delegation that met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee claimed he assured them that the Bill would be passed before the end of the term of the 13th Lok Sabha.

The outcome of the meeting of these women representatives with the Prime Minister was that the government would try and get the Bill passed within the 13th Lok Sabha, the women, who were part of the Joint Action Front, said quoting Vajpayee after the meeting.

They said that the delegation was "taken aback" by the statement of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj that it may not be possible to take up the Bill in the present Parliament.

The Prime Minister also suggested that the women should also consider the "alternative" proposals and meet the Speaker for the passage of the Bill, they said, adding that they insisted that the Bill should be passed in the present form.

The delegation members included Ranjana Kumari, Jyotsna Chatterjee, Pramilla Padhay and Asha.

PTI