Row in Lok Sabha as Centre introduces women’s quota tweaks, delimitation plan

NDA and opposition leaders on Thursday clashed in the Lok Sabha over bills to amend the women’s quota law and set up a delimitation commission, with the treasury benches defending the move as necessary for implementation and the opposition raising concerns over its impact on the federal structure.

Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Amit Shah moved to introduce three bills — the ‘Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026’, the ‘Delimitation Bill, 2026’ and the ‘Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026’ — amid protests from opposition members, who termed the proposals anti-constitutional.

According to a bulletin issued on April 15, the bills were scheduled to be introduced and debated for passage in the Lower House during the three-day sitting of Parliament. The amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, mandating 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, are aimed at enabling implementation by 2029.

Defending the move, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Census 2027 is on and the Centre has also decided to go for caste enumeration, but reservation based on religion is “unconstitutional”.

On the treasury benches, BJP MP Giriraj Singh said the amendments for early implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act would receive broad support.

“I have full confidence that when they come to the House, they will develop sensitivity towards women. Women have been waiting for years, and now their patience is running out. This will be passed collectively,” Singh told reporters inside the Parliament House complex.

He rejected concerns over delimitation, saying, “There will be no discrimination against anyone or any state. There will be no loss to the southern states and no one needs to worry.”

BJP MP Sandhya Roy termed the move historic.

“I believe everyone will support this Bill. It is a historic opportunity for women’s empowerment and a defining moment for the country. By 2029, women will have a strong share in the nation’s participation and progress,” she said.

JD(U) MP Lovely Anand criticised the opposition for objecting to the exercise.

“Why is the opposition against delimitation when nothing has happened yet? This is in favour of women — half the population is finally getting its due. The opposition is worried because it sees the ground slipping beneath its feet,” she said.

Opposition leaders, however, said they support women’s reservation but opposed linking it to delimitation.

Congress leader K C Venugopal questioned why the proposed changes were not incorporated earlier when the law was passed.

“Bills to tweak the women’s quota law and set up a delimitation panel are anti-constitutional,” he said.

Congress MP K Suresh said, “We are not against the women’s reservation bill. We are totally opposing the delimitation bill.”

Congress MP Hibi Eden said he had moved a procedural notice against the proposal.

“We have given notice under the relevant rules of procedure to oppose this. The delimitation bill is a direct attack on the Constitution. It takes away the rights of southern states and is an attack on the cooperative federal structure of the country,” he said.

“There is concern over the proposed increase in seats and the imbalance it may create between northern and southern states. Proper discussion and consultation with state governments are needed,” he added.

“It also affects the democratic and secular nature of the country. Southern states have performed better in population control and delimitation based on population will penalise them,” Eden said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said his party supports reservation for women but opposed the manner in which the government was proceeding.

“We are not against women’s reservation, but we oppose the haste and the way it is being brought. Without a fresh census, relying on 2011 data will not ensure accurate representation,” he said.

“If a census is conducted, there will be a demand for a caste census and appropriate reservation. This is not real empowerment but symbolism,” Yadav added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said, “We are not against women’s reservation, but we have reservations about the delimitation bill. There are concerns about how such exercises are carried out.”

DMK MP T R Baalu said, “Yesterday, our leader M K Stalin burnt the draft Bill at a public rally in Salem, which shows that we have to oppose it.”

According to the draft Constitution amendment bill, the number of Lok Sabha seats will be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to “operationalise” the women’s reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.

Seats will also be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women, and the seats reserved for women in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies “shall be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a state or Union territory”, the draft bill circulated among Lok Sabha members said.

The total strength of the ruling NDA in the Lok Sabha stands at 292, while the major opposition parties have 233 MPs. For the Constitution amendment bill to be passed, it requires a two-thirds majority of those present in the House at the time of voting.