Thursday, August 18 2005 20:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Sharp differences within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) surfaced today on the Women's Reservation Bill with its firebrand OBC leader Uma Bharati seeking quotas within the legislation and a thorough discussion in the party on the issue before formulating its stand.

In a letter to the party president L K Advani, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister demanded "adequate" reservation within the proposed quota for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled tribes and OBCs and wondered how the party could take a stand without discussing it in the party forum.

Party leader Sushma Swaraj had last week joined Home Minister Shivraj Patil in supporting the proposed Bill, which provides for increasing the seats in Lok Sabha and state legislatures by 33 per cent. Bharati termed it as "her (Sushma's) personal view" claiming that the issue has not been discussed in the party so far. Emerging from the meeting, Bharati told PTI that she has been demanding a discussion on the subject for last eight years as the Bill would not serve any purpose without providing reservation to SCs, STs, OBCs and dalits.

You cannot give a party view unless you discuss it in party. I have been demanding a discussion on the subject for last eight years. But strangely no discussion has taken place so far which is totally undemocratic," she said. Bharati said she was "firm" on her decision and if need be some MPs would introduce amendments on her instruction in Parliament when the Bill is introduced.

I am preparing some MPs to introduce private amendments if need be," she said. Claiming that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was in favour of a discussion on the Bill, Bharati said "I approached Vajpayee in 1997 when the then Deve Gowda Government introduced the Bill in the Parliament. Vajpayee had favoured a discussion on the Bill in the party".

On asking if she would meet Vajpayee, Bharati said there was no need to meet him as Advani is the party president. The BJP leader said she would send a letter to National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Convenor George Fernandes seeking his support for providing reservation to SCs, STs and OBCs. "The NDA is with me. The Janata Dal-United (JDU) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) support reservation to the Dalits and backward classes and if needed I will approach other political parties to garner support," she said.

Replying to a question whether her stand was similar to that of the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) and Samajwadi Party, Bharti said both the parties were opposed to introduction of the Bill in the present form but she was in favour.

"I am not opposed to introduction of the Bill in the present form. Amendments for providing reservation can be introduced later," Bharti said adding she would not change her stand.