After meeting PM Modi, Sukhbir Badal backs women’s reservation and delimitation

After meeting PM Modi, Sukhbir Badal backs women’s reservation and says the Akali Dal will support delimitation with safeguards for Punjab

PGurus Newsdesk

August 8, 2026

Sukhbir Badal has announced the Akali Dal’s support for women’s reservation while stressing that Punjab’s interests must be protected during delimitation.

Sukhbir Badal backs women’s quota, says Akali Dal will support delimitation move

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has announced the party’s support for the Centre’s proposed move to implement women’s reservation in Parliament and state legislatures, linking it to the delimitation exercise.

Badal made the announcement a day after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where several issues concerning Punjab and the party’s political position were discussed.

The SAD chief said his party would support the move provided the interests of Punjab and other states are protected during the delimitation process.

SAD backs women’s reservation

Badal said the Akali Dal supports the constitutional provision reserving one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.

The implementation of the reservation, however, is linked to the completion of delimitation, which is expected to redraw electoral constituencies based on population.

The SAD has maintained that any delimitation exercise should not disadvantage states that have successfully implemented population-control measures.

Announcement comes after meeting PM Modi

Badal’s statement came a day after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The meeting assumes significance amid renewed political activity surrounding the proposed changes to women’s reservation and delimitation.

The Akali Dal, which has had a long political association with the BJP-led NDA, has been seeking greater attention to Punjab-specific issues and the interests of the state’s farmers and rural population.

Badal’s latest announcement could therefore provide political space for the Centre to build broader support for its proposed electoral reforms.

Delimitation remains politically sensitive

The delimitation issue has emerged as a major political flashpoint, particularly among southern states and states that have successfully controlled population growth.

Critics fear that a fresh population-based delimitation could increase the parliamentary weight of states with larger populations while reducing the relative influence of states with lower population growth.

The Centre, however, has maintained that the delimitation process and women’s reservation are constitutional issues that need to be addressed through Parliament.

With the SAD now signalling its support for the women’s quota proposal, the political debate is likely to shift towards the safeguards that states such as Punjab want incorporated into the delimitation exercise.

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