Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 16 (ANI): A padyatra led by BJP MLAs Shagun Parihar and Devyani Rana was organised from Chabutra Bazar to Gole Market on Wednesday celebrate the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

'We have organised this rally as a celebration... This crowd shows that this decision is being supported and celebrated nationwide... This will help us fulfil our dream of being a developed nation by 2047. Such rallies and crowds are gathering in every corner of the country, and this crowd demonstrates that there is widespread support for this decision across the nation. I believe Jammu and Kashmir is about to see a new dawn, a new ray of sunshine, because with 33% representation, those women who were always left behind--especially from rural areas--will be brought to the forefront,' Parihar said during a padyatra organised in Udhampur.

'It will no longer be limited to women born with a silver spoon; instead, women from far-flung areas, villages, and mountains will be brought forward to become parliamentarians. They will be seated in the assembly, and they will play a key role in the important decisions needed to fulfil our 'Vision 2047' dream for India,' she further said.

BJP MLA Devyani Rana underlined the broader national significance of the Women's Reservation Bill, calling it a 'historic milestone.'

'The way women are progressing in every field, the Prime Minister has taken an initiative where women will have a 33% reservation in the Assemblies too... Now the rules that should be formulated for women will be done so by women themselves,' the BJP MLA said.

'Today, when we go to the assembly, there are only four women. This isn't about any party; only four women among 90 MLAs represent the women of Jammu and Kashmir... While women make up 50% of the population, only 4.4% are women raising their voices in the assembly. I hope that through this reservation, more women will join at every level of legislative policy, and the rules and laws made for women should be made by women themselves.'

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women legislators, is linked to the delimitation process in the Lok Sabha. The government is planning to implement the women's reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.

According to sources, the government has proposed to increase the number of seats in the House to 850, with 815 seats proposed for the States and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats at present. (ANI)