NDA Reaffirms Commitment to Women’s Reservation in Parliament Ahead of Key Bill
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New Delhi, April 3 (NationPress) NDA officials highlighted on Friday that ensuring women’s reservation in Parliament is a significant objective as the Budget Session of Parliament extends its sitting.
BJP MP Yogendra Chandolia stated: “The commitment to providing reservation for women is a pledge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP has actively sought to advance this initiative during this session. Unfortunately, due to a lack of cooperation from the opposition, discussions have now been postponed to April 16, 17, and 18. Women will attain their deserved reservation, and this promise from the Bharatiya Janata Party under PM Modi will be realized.”
Supporting this perspective, JD(U) National Spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad remarked: “This extension from the 16th to the 18th is entirely dedicated to deliberating on women’s reservation. The central government is committed to ensuring that the benefits of this reservation are not unnecessarily delayed, with plans to present this bill in Parliament to enhance women's participation ahead of the 2029 elections.”
The government has scheduled a special parliamentary session from April 16-18 to propose a bill that aims to raise the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, reserving 273 of these for women. This extension follows a brief recess in the Budget Session, which is now set to conclude on April 18, later than initially planned. The second phase of the Budget Session commenced on March 9 and was expected to wrap up on April 2, but neither House was adjourned sine die after completing their business.
During this extended session, Parliament will discuss amendments to the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, commonly referred to as the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023. The government’s goal is to bolster women's representation in the legislature in time for the 2029 elections.
In response to opposition claims that the BJP is leveraging voter sentiment or breaching the model code of conduct, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju previously announced that the government plans to introduce the amendments within the next two to three weeks. Both Houses were adjourned until April 16, marking the concluding day of the second half of the Budget Session, which traditionally reconvenes during the monsoon session in mid-July.