Eknath Shinde Backs Women Reservation And Delimitation Bills For Parliament
On Wednesday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed confidence that the Women's Reservation Bill and the proposed Delimitation Bill will be passed during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament. Shinde, who is also the Shiv Sena chief leader, asserted that both reforms are crucial for strengthening democracy and ensuring fair representation across the country.
Shinde explained that redrawing constituency boundaries has become essential due to significant population growth. According to the Deputy Chief Minister, the population of several Lok Sabha constituencies has increased to between 20 lakh and 25 lakh. This rapid growth has made it increasingly difficult for Members of Parliament (MPs) to effectively serve such large electorates. Shinde stated that the Delimitation Bill would facilitate development and ensure equitable representation.
In his support for the Women's Reservation Bill, Shinde credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for showing the political will to introduce the legislation after years of debate. He alleged that opposition parties had previously stalled the Bill in Parliament. Shinde appealed to all political parties to support the measure this time, stating it would guarantee justice and greater political representation for women.
Shinde also revealed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has entrusted Shiv Sena MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde with the responsibility of coordinating with other MPs regarding the two Bills. Additionally, Shinde addressed the recent induction of MPs into the Shiv Sena, noting that all legal formalities for legislators who joined the party with a two-thirds majority have been completed. The matter is currently before the Lok Sabha Speaker for a final decision.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule clarified that her party has not yet taken an official position on the proposed Delimitation Bill. Rejecting media reports that suggested her party would support the legislation, Sule stated that those claims were based on unnamed sources and had caused unnecessary confusion.
Sule explained that the Central government has not shared any formal proposal with her party. She added that a decision would only be made after receiving the draft and holding discussions within the opposition INDIA bloc. However, Sule noted that if the proposal includes a uniform 50 per cent increase in Lok Sabha seats across all states, there would be little reason to oppose it. The opposition has requested a collective discussion with the Centre under the leadership of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
