New Delhi, March 9: Perhaps it was the images of bill opponents being lifted out of the House that prompted the question.

Sonia Gandhi was asked how tough she had to be today.

The woman who had just risked her government by bulldozing the hurdles before the women’s reservation bill looked deeply happy but stayed matter-of-fact.

She had been firm even yesterday, she replied. “People mentioned some possible consequences, which I had to take into account. I may not have thought of that,” Sonia added, showing no signs of worry.

This time she had not been ready to yield to the cautious Congress managers’ doubts, and had asked the party not to wait for a “consensus” that had eluded the bill and blocked it for over a dozen years.

Sources said she had also overruled senior ministers who were against the use of marshals to throw out disruptive MPs.

All this had been a “huge risk”, Sonia later admitted to NDTV, and she had been “tense” watching the Rajya Sabha proceedings on television at home.

“It is a huge risk but we have taken such risks before…. In politics there are always risks… but the larger picture has to be taken in mind.”

A few remarks here and there seemed to illuminate that “larger picture” and provide a glimpse into the emotions that underpinned the toughness she had shown.

“They don’t want women to fight elections… there are excuses,” Sonia told her interviewer.

Sonia Gandhi

She said at another point: “Women empowerment is a vision of Rajivji.”

The Congress president refused to hog the credit, citing her discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. “It is not just my decision. I could not have taken it on my own.”

Nor did she forget the Opposition: “I am grateful to the Opposition. The BJP has supported, the Left has supported… others will also support.”

But the UPA chairperson refused to show her cards. Asked by a reporter if the Lok Sabha too would pass the bill in the current session, she replied she was not an astrologer.

Bill road map

Sources said Sonia wanted women’s reservation implemented before the October Bihar elections and had asked the government to ensure that the constitutional requirement of consent by at least half the states was achieved in time.

In that case, the Lok Sabha would be likely to pass the bill this budget session, before the recess or after it. The session, which ends on May 6, goes into recess on March 16. The House business advisory committee has already drawn up a schedule till March 12, and will meet tomorrow to discuss where to squeeze the bill in.

Sources said Sonia was not too worried over the government being reduced to a very thin majority: she apparently believes no party wants a snap election.

She herself told reporters she saw no threat at all: “The DMK has been for the bill…. Pawar also fully supported it. Everyone has supported it. I don’t see any problems within the UPA.”

Asked about Mamata Banerjee’s reservations, she said: “The person sitting next to her in the cabinet meeting told me that Mamata was enthusiastic and even stood up (in support) when the bill was discussed. So, I don’t understand what happened. I understand that she will understand.”

So confident was Sonia today that she made short work of the bill opponents — including the irrepressible Lalu Prasad.

When the RJD chief met her this morning with an appeal not to force the issue, she confronted him with: “Do your wife and daughters know what you are doing? Should I call them and ask if they support you?”

She told reporters: “He has seven daughters. I was telling him that within his family there are seven for the bill.”

All Lalu could muster in the way of repartee was that all Yadavs would stop supplying milk to Delhi.