Now Reading: Sukhbir Badal backs women’s quota, delimitation; BJP reunion buzz
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Sukhbir Badal backs women’s quota, delimitation; BJP reunion buzz
A day after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal announced his party's support for the women's reservation bill and the Centre's new delimitation proposal. The…
The Story in Brief
A day after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal announced his party's support for the women's reservation bill and the Centre's new delimitation proposal. The SAD had earlier opposed linking delimitation to the 2011 Census, but now backs the plan to increase Lok Sabha seats by 50% across all states. The decision has revived speculation of a rapprochement between the former allies BJP and SAD in Punjab.
At a meeting in Chandigarh, senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the party will openly back the women's reservation bill in Parliament. On the question of a formal alliance with the BJP, Cheema remained cautious, saying only the decisions taken at the meeting were being shared. The move drew sharp criticism from AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who mocked the possible reunion. SAD retaliated, calling his remarks a sign of nervousness.
The Indian Opinion
The SAD's sudden shift on delimitation and women's quota looks like a political realignment in the making. But the narrative that this automatically means a full-fledged BJP-SAD alliance is premature. The party has only endorsed two bills so far, not a partnership. The test will come if and when the BJP asks for more than issue-based support, especially on farm laws or the Agniveer scheme, where the SAD has been vocal. Will Sukhbir walk that extra mile?
Sources (2): aajtak.in, aajtak.in (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
