SAD backs Delimitation Bill, signals BJP alliance
A day after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal announced the party’s support for the Women’s Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill. The SAD, at a meeting of its senior leaders in Chandigarh on Saturday, demanded the immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said in a post on X.
The support for the Delimitation Bill is a clear indication that an SAD-BJP alliance for the upcoming Punjab elections is in the works.
“The Shiromani Akali Dal draws inspiration from the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, who championed the dignity, equality and equal rights of women. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (@SGPCAmritsar) has already set an example by providing for women’s reservation in its House,” he said. The party also extended its support to the Delimitation Bill. According to Badal, after detailed deliberations on key issues before the Parliament, the SAD demanded a fair and equitable delimitation process that ensures equal representation to all States.
The Shiromani Akali Dal supported the proposal put forward by the Government of India on the floor of the House for a uniform 50 per cent increase in the number of seats for all States. The party emphasised that both women’s reservation and delimitation should be implemented immediately.
The Akali Dal had earlier taken a different stand on the Delimitation Bill. When the Centre introduced it in Parliament in April, the party voted against the legislation with the Opposition, calling it unfair to Punjab. The party had argued that Punjab would get only a small increase in seats, while neighbouring States would benefit much more.
Speaking after the meeting, SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said that the decision on the two pending issues was taken at the meeting attended by all senior leaders. Echoing Badal’s views, he urged Parliament not to delay the implementation of the women’s quota. He said the proposal to increase seats will benefit Punjab. “Both the bills should be passed in Parliament and should be implemented.”
Party senior leader Naresh Gujral said the decision was “a very logical thing” for the party to do.
“We have one member in the Parliament, and we cannot just oppose the two bills for the sake of it,” said Gujral, party vice-president and former Rajya Sabha member.
“We have been supporting women reservation in the Parliament, and delimitation is the need of the hour,” he further said.
Akali Dal had left the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) six years ago citing differences over the three farm laws, which now stand repealed. The Shiromani Akali Dal then announced its exit from the NDA.
Since then, both parties contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections independently. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP failed to win any seats in the State, while the Akali Dal managed to secure only one.
Badal’s meeting with the Prime Minister at Parliament on Friday had set the speculation buzzing around the two parties reviving their old alliance.
The Government is making a fresh attempt for the passage of a Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and redraw the Lok Sabha constituencies to increase their number to 816 in the ongoing Monsoon session by reaching out to opposition leaders and NDA allies. The Constitution Amendment Bill was defeated in the last session.
