Parliament to Debate Women's Reservation Bill from April 16 for 2029 Rollout

Sources said the discussion may continue for 18 hours in the Lok Sabha and for 10 hours in the Rajya Sabha.

They said that the Prime Minister is expected to speak during the discussion, and Home Minister Amit Shah will reply to the debate.

With opposition parties expressing strong reservation to the proposed delimitation bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said he is not going into politics of which party is saying what.

"No party is opposing the women's reservation in the Parliament and Assemblies. When we passed this Nari Shakti Adhiniyam in the last Lok Sabha, no political party opposed it. So, in principle and in spirit, every body is together. In Nari Shakti Vandan dhiniyam, every party is together," he said.

"There may be some statements for political purpose, but the primary objective of providing reservations to women in the Parliament of India and the Assemblies of the states, no political party will oppose it. PM has expressed its gratitude to all political parties for coming together in the national interest. Because women's reservation cannot be a political issue," he added.

Rijiju said it will be "extremely painful" if there is a delay in the women's reservation process.

"We have waited for 40 years, we can't afford to wait for another year or another decade. It will be extremely painful if we further delay women's reservation process," he said.

Ahead of the three-day special sitting of Parliament beginning April 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday again pitched for implementing 33 per cent quota for women from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, calling it the "sentiment of the nation" and the "desire of Nari Shakti."

The government has called a special sitting of budget session of Parliament on April 16,17, 18 for amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, that was passed by Parliament in 2023 and provides for implementing 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and assemblies following a census and delimitation based on it.

The government also intends to bring a Delimitation Bill in the special sitting of Parliament and is keen to implement quota for women starting from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.

The government intends to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850 as part of its intention to implement the Women's Reservation Act from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, with 815 seats proposed to the states and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories.

"After four decades of anticipation, Parliament passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. This has ensured 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. All parties came forward to support this important law. The rights that women have now received should not face any delay in implementation. It should be implemented now. Lok Sabha elections will be held in 2029, followed by the ongoing state assembly elections. It should be implemented before 2029. This is the sentiment of the nation. This is the desire of Nari Shakti," PM Modi said at an event in Dehradun.

"Let all political parties come together and advance this work concerning the rights of the country's sisters and daughters with a unanimous consensus," he added.

- ANI