Plea in SC seeks implementation of Women Reservation Bill before 2024 polls

NEW DELHI: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking immediate implementation of the Women Reservation Bill before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The petition filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur said that putting the clog that the said law will be implemented "after the delimitation is undertaken for this purposes after the relevant figures for the first census" be declared as "void-ab-initio” for immediate implementation of the 33 per cent women reservation in the legislature.

“The constitutional amendment cannot be hold for uncertain period. In fact, this amendment special session was called for implementing the Reservation in Parliament as well as in the State Legislature and both houses passed this Bill unanimously and Hon'ble President of India also given assent and thereafter Act is notified on 28th September 2023, but despite the publication, object of the Act cannot be withhold for uncertain period,” said the plea filed through advocate Varinder Kumar Sharma.

It added that there is no requirement of the census and delimitation because the number of seats already declared and the present amendment gives 33 per cent reservation for existing seats, and this is an admitted position in our country that 50 per cent is women population but they have only 4 per cent representation in elections.

“This is an emergent situation to implement the amendment immediately, that is a reason special session was called out for a particular object to pass the women reservation bill but putting the impugned clog is defeating the all aims and object of women representation in the democratic process,” the plea stated.

Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Bill 2023 -- passed in September this year in a special session of Parliament -- mandates 33 per cent quota for women in the Lok Sabha and all state Assemblies, including Delhi.

The quota for women is likely to be completely rolled out nation-wide in 2029 post completion of delimitation exercise and will continue for a term of 15 years.

The Women Reservation Bill does not intend to alter the composition of the present Lok Sabha or existing Legislative Assemblies but will apply once they are freshly constituted on completion of their respective tenure or on being dissolved for any other cause.

A legal expert had said that the Bill being a Constitutional Amendment will not only require the special 2/3rd majority in both Houses of Parliament but will also be carried forward to the state Assemblies for ratification by at least half of them, which is a “time-consuming process".