The Bill has been hanging in fire for 12 years during which at least four governments have changed, including the six-year tenure of the BJP-led NDA.

The Congress-led UPA coalition at the Centre is now planning to bring it when it is entering the last year of its term and pressure is mounting from key Left allies.

There have been at least three instances when the Bill projected as a revolutionary measure to empower the women, was brought forward, but could not see the light of day.

The Bill originally drafted by the United Front Government headed by H D Deve Gowda, was tabled in Parliament for the first time on September 12, 1996. It was referred to a Parliamentary panel headed by the late Left leader Geeta Mukherjee.

It was a similar story when Deve Gowda's successor I K Gujral sought to introduce it in 1997. He was shouted down by members of his own party, the undivided Janata Dal.

Among the leaders who opposed to the Bill were Lalu Prasad, who has been demanding quota-within-quota for women from the backward castes in women's reservation.