Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said the party has demanded the immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill and a fair and equitable delimitation process that ensures equal representation to all states.
Addressing the outcome of a meeting of senior SAD leaders in Chandigarh, Badal said the party’s position was rooted in the teachings of Sikh Gurus, who, he said, championed the dignity, equality and equal rights of women.
He pointed out that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had already set an example by providing for women’s reservation in its House. The SAD chief said similar principles of representation and equality should be reflected in the country’s legislative institutions.
The demand comes amid renewed efforts by the Centre to build political consensus on a Constitution Amendment Bill aimed at implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures. The proposed changes are also linked to the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies, with the government considering an increase in the strength of the House.
The SAD also called for delimitation to be carried out in a manner that remains fair to all states. Badal said the party supported the proposal put forward by the government for a uniform 50 per cent increase in the number of seats for every state.
The party stressed that women’s reservation and delimitation should be implemented without further delay, while ensuring that no state is unfairly disadvantaged in the process.
SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema clarified that the party had never been opposed to delimitation itself. He said the party’s earlier concern was that states which had successfully implemented population-control measures should not be penalised through a reduction in their political representation.
“We were not opposed to delimitation,” Cheema said, explaining that the party had sought safeguards for states that had performed well on population-control indicators.
According to Cheema, the government’s proposal to increase the number of seats by 50 per cent for every state addressed the SAD’s concern. Once the party was satisfied that the proposed formula was equitable, it agreed to support the implementation of delimitation along with women’s reservation.
The SAD’s position comes as the Centre is making renewed efforts to secure support from opposition parties and NDA allies for the proposed constitutional changes during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The government is considering measures that could pave the way for 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures from 2029, alongside a redrawing of Lok Sabha constituencies. The proposed expansion could take the strength of the Lok Sabha to 816 seats.
For the SAD, the two issues are closely connected. While the party has backed greater representation for women, it has simultaneously insisted that the delimitation exercise must follow an equitable formula that protects the interests of all states.
Badal said the SAD’s demands reflected the party’s commitment to equality and balanced representation. The party’s support for a uniform increase in seats indicates that it is open to the proposed delimitation exercise provided that representation is enhanced across states on an equal basis.
The SAD’s stance could assume significance as the Centre seeks wider political agreement on the proposed changes. With women’s reservation and delimitation carrying major constitutional and political implications, support from regional parties could prove important in building consensus around the government’s proposal.
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