Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said the party, at a meeting of its senior leaders in Chandigarh, demanded the immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the country. He said the the Shiromani Akali Dal draws inspiration from the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, who championed the dignity, equality and equal rights of women. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (@SGPCAmritsar) has already set an example by providing for women’s reservation in its House.
Shiromani Akali Dal demands a fair and equitable delimitation
After detailed deliberations on key issues before Parliament, the Shiromani Akali Dal also demanded a fair and equitable delimitation that ensures equal representation to all States. The Shiromani Akali Dal supported the proposal which was put up by Government of India at the floor of the house of uniform increase of 50% of seats of all states. He said the party emphasised that women reservation and Delimitation should be done immediately.
The development comes at a time when the Central government is making a fresh attempts for the passage of a Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and redraw the Lok Sabha constituencies to increase their number to 816 in the ongoing Monsoon session by reaching out to opposition leaders and NDA allies.
We were not opposed to delimitation: Daljit Singh Cheema
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema says, “We were not opposed to delimitation. For some time, our concern was that states which had successfully implemented population control measures should not be disadvantaged… There was a suggestion from the Home Minister that 50 per cent seats would be increased for everyone. Once we agreed that the formula was sound, we consented to its implementation, along with the rollout of delimitation and women’s reservation.”
Sukhbir Singh Badal met PM Modi on Friday
On Friday, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Parliament House, however, his office did not disclose the agenda of the meeting. But reports suggested that the SAD said the interaction was centred on issues concerning Punjab, including the state’s law-and-order situation and the alleged corruption in welfare schemes of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
The meeting between Sukhbir Singh Badal and PM Modi is politically significance as both the SAD and the BJP have publicly maintained that they intend to contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections independently. Moreover, these two parties, which were long-standing allies in Punjab, parted ways in September 2020 over the issue of the now-repealed three farm laws.
Right now, the SAD holds one seat in the Lok Sabha, with Harsimrat Kaur Badal representing the Bathinda constituency in Punjab. Amid ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament, the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition are firming up strategies with regard to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill proposing to raise the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850 and initiate the delimitation process.
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