Gandhi, Akali Dal Demand Immediate Women's Quota Bill Implementation

Rahul Gandhi and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have called for the unconditional and immediate implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill.

Gandhi stated his demand on Saturday, engaging in a verbal exchange with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Rijiju countered that delimitation is a necessary step for the quota to take effect, suggesting a 2029 timeline. Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of SAD, announced his party's support for the bill's prompt enactment following a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Badal also emphasized the need for fair delimitation to ensure equitable state representation. Speculation about a potential electoral partnership between SAD and the BJP has followed this meeting. Gandhi has urged the bill's immediate implementation without linking it to delimitation. Rijiju criticized the Congress party, drawing a parallel between its current leadership and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's post-Emergency admissions.

The Women's Reservation Bill, passed in 2023, reserves one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The debate centers on whether the bill can be enacted before the next general election or if it requires the completion of delimitation and redrawing of constituencies.