I am relieved, happy: Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi, Mar 9 : It was long day of debate and acrimony. But at the end the wishes of Sonia Gandhi became the command of Parliament's upper house. And the Congress president says she is happy and relieved that the Women's Bill was passed by an overwhelming majority at the end.

In interviews to the leading national channels after the historic passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha, Sonia Gandhi told NDTV and Times Now: "I am relieved...very happy. You said how did I manage this? It is not me the Congress President managing it...is the PM, me, my colleagues, the Congress party, my party, especially women in my party."

"I am grateful to the Opposition," she said. The opposition stood by the bill, which envisages 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies.

History was enacted after day-long high drama in the upper house when an overwhelming majority passed the Women's Reservation Bill on Tuesday, clearing the first hurdle on the way of the landmark legislation to ensure 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies.

While 186 members voted for the passage of the bill, one member voted against it, ending a deadlock that goes back to nearly one and half decades.

On the bill not being passed a day ago on the International Women's Day, she said: "I think there is a misunderstanding there. I didn't say. How can I say I want it ot be passed on Women's Day. I only said 'if'. There was never a command. I couldn't possibly do that."

On the resistance in Parliament, she said: "Well, in Parliament it was not the first time that there was resistance towards a bill. It happened before. It will happen in the future. "

All smiles speaking to women journalists like Barkha Dutt of NDTV, Sonia Gandhi said she spent the whole day watching the proceedings of Rajya Sabha on TV.

Sonia Gandhi said she knew there would be difficulty and problems would crop up and so she kept her fingers crossed.

On the attack in Rajya Sabha against Vice President and house chairman Hamid Ansari, she said:
" That was not at all the right thing to do...I have not witnessed such scenes before."

Sonia also hoped that UPA's disgruntled partner Trinamool Congress will support the bill.

"Mamata was in the Cabinet meeting and I was told by the person who sat next to her that she was very enthusiastic..I don't understand what has happened..but I am sure she will understand," she said.

Trinamool Congress said it was not consulted for the voting and Congress depended more on the opposition than the allies.

On Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav opposing the bill and why even her personal rapport with Lalu failed to work, she said: " It is true there is a personal rapport...but when it comes to political issues, personal relations don't count so much. We all have to be generous and think of larger picture. Women empowerment after all is a vision of Rajiv ji..."

Told that Congress might have to pay political prices for ignoring Lalu Prasad and Mulayam, she said: "I hope not, but we have faced enormous problems before and we will face similar ahead."