AIADMK pledges support to Women's Bill

"The AIADMK members will vote for the passage of the bill in the current session of Parliament," party general secretary Jayalalithaa said in a press release here. The bill is to be taken up by Rajya Sabha for consideration tomorrow with Congress, BJP and Left parties backing the measure.

In her greetings on the eve of Women's Day, Jayalalithaa said: "It has been my wish that the long-pending demand for reservation of one third of seats in Parliament and state legislature for women should be fulfilled. AIADMK will extend its support to the measure."

AIADMK, which was part of the third front propped up ahead of the last Lok Sabha elections, has nine members in the Lok Sabha and seven in the Rajya Sabha. Jayalalithaa said AIADMK had always championed the cause of women and launched various initiatives for them like 'craddle baby' scheme aimed at eradicating female infanticide during its rule.

AIADMK's arch-rival DMK, which is part of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre, has already come out in favour of the passage of the bill with Chief Minister M Karunanidhi saying priority should be to pass the legislation first and the issue of sub-quota for backward and most-backward classes could be considered later.