Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India] April 15 : A rare political consensus has emerged in Himachal Pradesh, with leaders across party lines backing the Centre's proposed Women's Reservation Bill and the move to increase the number of seats in Parliament and state assemblies.
Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur welcomed the initiative, congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and describing the move as a "historic step" toward ensuring greater participation of women in governance.
"Discussions on women's reservation have taken place for years, but this government has taken concrete steps to implement it. We hope all political parties will extend support so that it can be enforced before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections," Thakur said.
He also urged opposition parties to clarify their stand, stating that if they support women's reservation, they should cooperate in passing the bill.
The Speaker of Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, also endorsed the proposal, calling it a 'historic initiative.'
Speaking in Hamirpur to ANI, he said that provisions like increasing seats are essential to ensure adequate representation for women, who constitute nearly half of the country's population.
"Increasing the number of seats in Parliament and state assemblies is a significant step toward enhancing women's participation in politics. It can give a new direction to women's empowerment in the country," Pathania said.
He also said that similar efforts had been made in the past but did not succeed, and recalled key reforms such as the reduction of the voting age from 21 to 18 during the tenure of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The Union government is set to introduce a major constitutional amendment bill in Parliament on April 16, proposing to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from the current 543 to around 850 seats. The move is aimed at effectively implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
The proposed amendment seeks to revise Article 81 of the Constitution to restructure representation from states and Union Territories.
The emerging consensus in Himachal Pradesh is being seen as a significant boost to the broader push for women's empowerment and political inclusion at the national level.
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