In a letter written today to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, M A K Swain, BJP MP from Balasore (Orissa), felt that the party's policy needed a review. "An open debate should be allowed to take place within the party forum in view of the development of new problems and ideas," he said.

"Also, the very concept that women of this country want such a legislation should also be thrown open to question."

"The very idea that the meager representation of women in the state and legislatures is due to the opposition of the male-dominated society should also be thrown open for discussion," he added.

According to Swain, a first-timer, by pushing the bill, the party was going to put itself into a lot of "undesirable and unnecessary" trouble. "I request you earnestly not to make this a prestige issue," he stated,adding "The truth regarding this can be found out by holding a referendum among women." But while expressing his reservations on the issue, he made it clear that he had no intention of defying the party whip on the bill. "I only want the initiation of a free and frank debate within the party," he asserted.

By sticking to its resolve to introduce the bill, the party, he said, had pushed itself into a bind. "Now the SP and the RJD are demanding reservation within reservation for the OBCs. If we refuse to accept this, then the entire OBC community will turn against us."