Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray emphasized the urgent need for the immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which had been approved by Parliament in 2023. Thackeray suggested a temporary halt to the delimitation issue, stressing the importance of national unity over political interests.
Highlighting Maharashtra’s pioneering role in granting 33% and later 50% reservation to women in local self-government bodies, the Thackeray camp underscored the state’s commitment to women’s empowerment under various governments.
Thackeray clarified that Shiv Sena supports the 33% quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, as evidenced by their MPs voting in favor of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in 2023. However, the key concern lies in linking this reservation to a new delimitation exercise without a formal national census.
Expressing reservations about the delimitation process, Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut criticized the move as potentially undermining the political representation of states like Maharashtra and South India. Raut emphasized the need for immediate implementation of the reservation in the 2024 elections rather than delaying it until 2029.
