Chandigarh – Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal has strongly opposed the proposed delimitation exercise linked with the Women’s Reservation Bill, calling it discriminatory against Punjab and a threat to the federal structure of the country.
In a statement issued here, Badal said that population-based delimitation would severely impact Punjab, which is already a minority-state in terms of representation. He alleged that Punjab would be among the biggest losers, with only a marginal increase in Lok Sabha seats, while states like Haryana could see a significant rise.
He questioned the fairness of the process, stating that Punjab would remain deprived despite contributing to national goals, while other states could benefit disproportionately.
Badal further claimed that the exercise would weaken India’s federal structure and shift political power towards a few Hindi-speaking states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan, potentially altering the balance in Parliament.
He argued that these states could collectively gain a dominant share of Lok Sabha seats, reducing the influence of other states and weakening India’s diversity-based representation system.
Reiterating his party’s position, Badal said the Shiromani Akali Dal fully supports the Women’s Reservation Bill, stating that it aligns with the principles of equality and Sikh Gurus’ teachings. However, he strongly opposed any attempt to link or misuse the bill for delimitation purposes.
He also announced that the Akali Dal will support a proposed all-party meeting initiative in Punjab to build a collective stand against the delimitation exercise and to protect both Punjab’s interests and India’s federal structure.
Badal added that the party will lead efforts to raise the issue at all levels in the interest of constitutional federalism and national unity.
