Women’s Reservation Bill: Uddhav Thackeray Demands Immediate 33% Quota, Calls for Pause on Delimitation

Uddhav Thackeray has called for the immediate implementation of the 33 per cent reservation for women, as approved under the Women’s Reservation Bill passed by Parliament in 2023. He insisted that while the quota for women should be enforced without delay, the process of delimitation of constituencies must be paused for now. Thackeray stressed that the issue of redrawing electoral boundaries carries wider national implications and should not be rushed. He maintained that such a significant exercise requires deeper deliberation, careful study, and consensus to ensure fairness and protect the country’s long-term democratic structure.

The debate surrounding the Women’s Reservation Bill and the proposed delimitation exercise has intensified political activity in New Delhi. The Congress recently convened a meeting of opposition parties to discuss the developments. After the meeting, Mallikarjun Kharge clarified that opposition parties are not against providing reservations to women, but they strongly object to the manner in which the BJP is handling the process. One of the major concerns raised was the proposal to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 through delimitation, which could significantly alter political representation across states.

The proposed legislation aims to reserve 33 per cent of seats for women in both the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, marking a major step towards gender representation in politics. Despite broad support for the reservation, opposition leaders have expressed apprehension over linking its implementation with delimitation. The meeting saw participation from key leaders, including Supriya Sule and Sanjay Raut, while Uddhav Thackeray joined the discussion virtually. Leaders reiterated that women’s empowerment should not be delayed due to procedural or political complexities tied to constituency restructuring.

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In his statement after the meeting, Thackeray underlined that the Women’s Reservation Bill has already received parliamentary approval and should therefore be enforced immediately. He argued that delimitation is a separate and sensitive matter that should be temporarily set aside until a broader national consensus is achieved. He said the issue goes beyond party politics and is directly linked to the country’s future, making it essential to approach it with caution. Thackeray also emphasised the need for further research and inclusive discussions before taking any final decision on redrawing constituencies across the nation.

Meanwhile, a two-day special session of Parliament has commenced to take forward the implementation of the Women’s Reservation framework, formally known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The law proposes reserving one-third of seats for women, but this provision will come into effect only after the delimitation process is completed. The reserved constituencies will be rotated periodically, and the reservation will remain in force for 15 years. The bill is also expected to reshape the Lok Sabha by increasing the number of seats, taking into account population growth, migration patterns, and regional demographic imbalances.