Women's Quota In India's Parliament Likely From 2029 Lok Sabha Elections: Report

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government is planning to roll out reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, according to a report in The Indian Express.

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam , or the Women's Reservation Bill, reserves one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies.

The women's reservation bill is linked to the delimitation process. We are aiming to roll it out in the next election.

"The Census has been announced. Other steps will follow. The women's reservation bill is linked to the delimitation process. We are aiming to roll it out in the next election," the report said, quoting a source.

Also Read | Census-2027 reignites delimitation row: Here's how

As per the provisions in the Act, passed in the Parliament in 2023 , the reservation of one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies shall come into effect after the delimitation exercise is taken based on the figures from the first Census conducted after the enactment of the Act.

The Union government said on 4 June that India's next census-the exercise to count the population and conduct caste enumeration in the world's most populated country - will be held across India by 1 March 2027 .

So to roll out the women's quota in the next Lok Sabha election, the delimitation has to be completed before the announcement of dates for general elections. Delimitation is the process of fixing limits or boundaries of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in a country. The delimitation depends on Census data.

The Delimitation Row

Linking delimitation with the census has triggered political controversies in the past. The Census date announcement earlier this month reopened the debate on the delimitation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the centre of planning to reduce Tamil Nadu's parliamentary seats.

Also Read | Karnataka Caste Census: Congress govt to re-enumerate data after concerns

Stalin, the DMK chief, demanded an answer from the Union government over the timing for conducting a caste census, highlighting the constitutional mandate that delimitation must follow the census after 2026.

"The Indian Constitution mandates that delimitation must follow the first census after 2026. The BJP has now delayed the census to 2027, making their plan clear to reduce Tamil Nadu's Parliamentary representation ," Stalin posted on X.

Also Read | What's delimitation exercise and why it's needed for women's reservation?

Stalin said that the warnings he issued earlier regarding delimitation are unfolding now. Stalin further attacked All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami , accusing him of being "complicit in this betrayal" by siding with the BJP.

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