Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 15 : The Himachal Pradesh Mahila Congress chief, Jenab Chandel, on Wednesday said that while the women's reservation is important and necessary, bringing it up amid ongoing elections is not appropriate and should instead be discussed after April 29.
Addressing a press conference in Shimla and later speaking to ANI, Chandel said the Congress party has long supported women's political empowerment, citing the party's role in initiating reservation in local bodies, which led to the election of nearly 15 lakh women across the country.
Referring to the Women's Reservation Bill, also known as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, she said that senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had demanded its immediate implementation in 2024. However, she alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party government linked the rollout to the completion of the Census and delimitation process.
Chandel questioned the delay, stating that nearly 30 months had passed without progress, and accused the Centre of raising the issue only during elections. "If the government were serious, it could have brought the bill for discussion after April 29, once the election process concludes," she said, referring to the final phase of polling in West Bengal.
She emphasised that major legislative changes should be debated thoroughly in Parliament, describing it as the "temple of democracy," where all stakeholders must be heard. Drawing parallels with the 1993 Panchayati Raj amendments, she noted that the legislation underwent extensive discussions over several years before implementation, ensuring broad consensus.
Chandel also stressed the need for inclusive representation in the proposed framework, stating that women from all sections, including OBCs, minorities, and marginalised communities, must be adequately represented once the Census and delimitation are completed.
Reiterating the Congress party's commitment to women's empowerment, she said that meaningful participation of women in governance would strengthen the country and help address issues concerning half the population more effectively.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women legislators, is linked to the delimitation process in the Lok Sabha. The government is planning to implement the women's reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.
According to sources, the government has proposed to increase the number of seats in the House to 850, with 815 seats proposed for the States and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats at present.