'LS polls only after women bill adoption'

New Delhi, Jan 19: BJP president Rajnath Singh today said the next Lok Sabha elections should be held only after Parliament adopted a Constitution amendment Bill, providing for 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and State Legislative assemblies. Mr Singh appealed to the UPA Government to bring a legislation on womens reservation 'in any form' before the Lok Sabha elections and assured that the BJP, being the main opposition party, would support it. "There shall be no doubt in our intention," he said.

The BJP president was inaugurating the National Executive meeting of the BJP Mahila Morcha at the party headquarters here. Mr Singh said the BJP National Executive in its January 28 meeting here would 'hopefully' adopt a resolution to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the party at all levels, right from the mandal to national level.

He also urged other political parties to do the same in their own organisations.

Mr Singh, however, denied reports quoting senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj that the BJP would support the Election Commission proposal that the political parties should give 33 per cent tickets to women in Parliament and assembly elections, abandoning the party's demand for a constitutional amendment to give effect to the women reservation Bill.

UNI