Indian democracy will become stronger and vibrant if elections to the Lok Sabha and various assemblies are held in 2029 with full implementation of women’s reservation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said.
In a message to the women of the country, Modi also said that with women excelling in many fields, it is pertinent that there should be an increase in women’s participation in legislative bodies.
He said the amendments to ‘Nari Shakti Vandhan Adhiniyam’ have to be passed in three-day special sessions of Parliament, starting April 16, and any further delay would be unfortunate and a gross injustice to the women of India.
“Our democracy will become stronger and more vibrant if the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and the various Assembly elections that year are held with complete reservation for women,” he said in the message posted on his personal account with X.
The Prime Minister said that India’s daughters cannot be asked to wait indefinitely to get what is rightfully theirs.
“When women’s voices become stronger in our legislatures, the voice of democracy itself becomes stronger,” he said.
“I seek your blessings and the blessings of millions of women across India for the upcoming Parliament session and for the passage of the Constitutional Amendment. I urge you all to write to your local MPs and encourage them as they participate in this historic Parliament session,” Modi said.
In September 2023, Parliament passed the Nari Shakti Vandhan Adhinyam Act, commonly known as the Women’s Reservation Act, marking an important step towards enhancing women’s representation in legislative bodies.
The law stipulates that one-third of the seats are reserved for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
The amendments to the Women’s Reservation Act, when passed, will ensure that the number of Lok Sabha seats increases to 816, of which 273 seats are reserved for women.
The provision to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was introduced through an amendment to the Constitution in 2023.
Under current law, the reservation for women would not have been enforceable before 2034, because it was tied to the completion of the demarcation process after the 2027 census.
To implement it from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, changes were needed in the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. Hence, the government holds a special session to approve amendments to the law.
