SAD Demands Immediate Women's Quota, Supports Equitable Delimitation
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday called for the immediate implementation of women's reservation and expressed support for the delimitation exercise, aligning itself with the central government's position on these constitutional matters. The party's stance was announced after a meeting of its senior leaders in Chandigarh.
In a post on X, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the party demanded the "immediate implementation" of the Women's Reservation Bill. He further stated that after detailed deliberations on key issues before Parliament, the SAD also demanded a "fair and equitable Delimitation that ensures equal representation to all States."
Mr. Badal added that the party supported the government's proposal, put forward on the floor of the House, for a uniform increase of 50% in seats for all states. "The party emphasised that women reservation and Delimitation should be done immediately," he wrote.
The SAD currently holds one seat in the Lok Sabha, represented by Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Bathinda constituency in Punjab. Mr. Badal's statement came a day after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, fuelling speculation about a possible rekindling of the SAD-BJP alliance ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election.
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) are firming up their strategies with regard to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which proposes to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850 and initiate the delimitation process. The NDA government has been working to secure a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha to pass the amendment.
This effort gained momentum after 20 Lok Sabha members of the Trinamool Congress and six MPs of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) aligned themselves with the BJP-led NDA. The political developments highlight the evolving dynamics as parties position themselves on key constitutional reforms.
