MUMBAI, India, April 16 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray has called for the immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act, stating that the issue of delimitation should not be rushed and requires further discussion. His views were conveyed by party leader Sanjay Raut in a post on X.
Thackeray said there is currently a political uproar regarding the Women’s Reservation Bill and that his party’s position is clear. “The Women’s Reservation Bill was already passed in Parliament in 2023. Accordingly, implement the 33 percent women’s reservation immediately. A temporary pause must be applied to the delimitation (reorganization of electoral constituencies) issue,” he said.
“This is an important matter for broader national unity. For us, this is not about any one party’s political future but about the future of the country. Therefore, more discussion and deliberation are necessary,” he added.
Opposition parties have raised serious concerns over the Delimitation Bill and the manner in which the government has sought to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha to implement the women’s quota.
Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on three bills, including legislation to implement the Women’s Reservation Act from the 2029 general elections and the Delimitation Bill, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the government of misleading the public and undermining democracy.
She criticized the government’s approach, saying that OBCs are being deprived of their rights, the influence of some states is being reduced, and a structure is being created to strengthen the BJP “by blowing democracy to smithereens.”
Assuring full support for women’s reservation if implemented sincerely, she urged the government to introduce it within the existing strength of the Lok Sabha, along with reservation for SC, ST, and OBC women.
“The government is trying to mislead people and is attacking the integrity of the country in a significant way. On one hand, there is grand rhetoric, and on the other, the rights of OBCs are being quietly taken away, while the power of some states is being reduced,” she alleged.
Priyanka Gandhi questioned the government’s decision to link the Women’s Reservation (Amendment) Bill to an increase in Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850, based on 2011 population census figures.
“Firstly, it is stated that women’s reservation should be implemented from 2029. We support it. Then it says that to implement the bill, Lok Sabha seats would increase from 543 to 850, based on the 2011 population census,” she said, expressing concern over the removal of the 2023 provision that required a population census followed by delimitation.
“They want to move forward with the 2011 census because there are no figures for the OBC community in it,” she said, adding that the Constitution is for everyone and cannot function by “taking away someone’s rights.”
The Wayanad MP also alleged a lack of transparency in the seat expansion process, calling it “dangerous” due to the absence of a clear mechanism for how it would be implemented.
“Another dangerous aspect is that there is no clear process mentioned regarding how the 50 percent change in the Lok Sabha will take place,” she said. (ANI)
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