BJD delegation meets NCP Chief Sharad Pawar over women's reservation bill

Bhubaneswar: As part of their strategy to garner support over women's reservation bill, a BJD delegation today met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar in Pune.

The team including School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra and BJD leader Arup Patnaik met Pawar at the latter's residence.

According to sources, discussions were held over several issues including women's reservation bill during the meeting.

"We met Sharad Pawar and extended our support to the cause of 33% reservation for women in State assemblies and Parliament," Patra said.

After the meeting, the NCP chief said, "This particular meeting was restricted to women's reservation issue. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has been consistently supporting the cause. In fact he has also sent us a written note."

Earlier, Odisha CM Naveen had sought cooperation from chief ministers of all States and Union Territories for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies.

Patnaik had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging that the Women’s Reservation Bill – seeking 33% reservation for women in state Legislative Assemblies and Parliament – should be passed in Parliament.