Parliament to pass Women's Reservation Bill, says BJP MP Sadanandan

BJP MP C Sadanandan lauded the Women's Reservation Bill ahead of a special session. The bill aims for 33% reservation. The Centre may also expand Lok Sabha seats, drawing criticism from southern states over the proposed delimitation.

BJP MP C Sadanandan expressed support for the Women's Reservation Bill, saying Parliament is set to recognise the importance of Women's representation by passing the legislation during a special session scheduled from April 16 to 18.

Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Sadanandan said the proposed legislation aims to empower women by increasing their participation in decision-making processes. "Our Parliament is set to recognise the essentiality of women's representation by passing the Women Reservation Bill during a special session on the 16th, 17th, and 18th, with certain amendments... It aims to empower women, who constitute 50 per cent of the population, by granting them the authority to influence the nation's future and express their ideas and wishes about society," said Sadananda.

Details of Proposed Legislation

The special session of Parliament is set to deliberate on amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, along with the proposed Delimitation Bill. The government is expected to introduce a Constitutional amendment to implement a 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha starting from the 2029 general elections.

According to sources, the Centre is also considering a significant expansion of the Lok Sabha's strength from the current 543 seats to 850. Of these, 815 seats are proposed to be allocated to states, while 35 would be reserved for Union Territories. The move is linked to the implementation of the reservation policy and the broader delimitation exercise.

Opposition Raises Concerns Over Delimitation

However, several leaders of the Opposition parties have raised concerns, particularly regarding the delimitation plan. They have argued that the exercise could disproportionately impact southern states by limiting their representation in the Lok Sabha. Additionally, Opposition parties have questioned the timing of the bill, alleging that the government is rushing the process ahead of the next general census.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has written a letter to the Chief Ministers of four southern states, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Keralam, along with the Union Territory of Puducherry, calling for a unified front against the Centre's proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)