A clear political divide has emerged after the Centre tabled key bills linked to women’s reservation and delimitation, with several Opposition parties backing the 33% quota for women but opposing its linkage with the proposed redrawing of constituencies.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said there would be a debate of around 15-18 hours on the bills as voting would take place at 4 PM on Friday.
The government is pushing for an amendment to the Women’s Reservation law to ensure 33% quota in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. However, it has been proposed to implement this alongside a fresh delimitation exercise, which has triggered concerns across party lines.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its NDA allies have defended the move, arguing that increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 will allow reservation for women without cutting into existing seats. Party leaders maintain that a proportional increase will ensure no state loses representation.
However, the Opposition has raised strong objections.
Parties Against Delimitation
The Indian National Congress has supported the immediate implementation of 33% reservation but criticised the delimitation plan in its current form. Leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh have warned that basing seat expansion on 2011 population data could tilt political power in favour of northern states, widening the gap with the south. The party has also demanded an OBC sub-quota within the women’s reservation and called for a fresh caste census before implementation.
In the south, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has taken a strong stand against delimitation. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has termed the move an “assault on federalism,” arguing that states which successfully control population growth could be penalised.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has also opposed linking reservation with delimitation. The party argues that women’s quota can be implemented immediately using existing data, without waiting for a new census or expanding seats.
Parties Supporting These Bills
Similarly, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi has backed women’s reservation in principle but opposed any delimitation exercise that could reduce the relative representation of southern states.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has proposed an alternative “hybrid model,” suggesting that new seats should be allocated not just on population but also on economic performance.
With multiple parties backing women’s reservation but rejecting its linkage with delimitation, the issue is set to trigger intense debate in Parliament in the coming days.
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