The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to entertain a plea seeking urgent implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023 to ensure 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha as early as next year.
The court observed that the petitioner, Yogamaya M.G., had no “personal interest” in the matter, and allowed her to withdraw her plea with the liberty to file a Public Interest Litigation petition instead.
In her plea, Ms. Yogamaya had stated that effective implementation of the law was crucial for enhancing women’s representation and participation in Indian politics, and a delay in its application would “compromise the principles of democracy”.
“Despite the unanimous passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023, there has been a significant delay in its implementation. The lack of tangible progress or a clear road-map for implementation raises concerns about the sincerity of the authorities in giving effect to this vital legislative measure,” her petition read.
In November, the Supreme Court had called the constitutional amendment reserving one-third of the seats in Parliament and State legislatures for women a “very good step” towards attaining gender parity in politics, but voiced doubts about stepping in to ensure the implementation of the quota law before the general election in 2024.
The apex court’s response was to a petition filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur questioning a clause in the Bill which said the reservation should be implemented only after the next census, followed by a delimitation exercise.
