No Politics, Stick To Women’s Quota: Oppn To BJP After Successfully Defeating Bill

NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH- Congress MP Manish Tewari and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on April 19 said the Opposition would support women’s reservation if implemented within the existing 543-seat Lok Sabha framework, while accusing the Centre of using the proposed legislation to advance delimitation and alter the country’s political balance.

Their remarks came after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposed 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and included provisions linked to seat expansion, was defeated in the Lok Sabha after failing to secure the required two-thirds majority.

The Bill secured 298 votes in favor and 230 against after a day-long debate, triggering a sharp political confrontation between the ruling NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc.

Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari said the Opposition resisted the Bill because it went beyond women’s reservation and raised concerns over possible changes to the country’s political and demographic structure through delimitation.

“Under the pretext of women’s reservation, there was an attempt to change the political and geographical structure of the country. There was concern that India’s political and electoral map could be redrawn, which is why the Opposition MPs collectively opposed it,” Tewari said.

He said the Opposition remained ready to support women’s reservation immediately if implemented within the present strength of the Lok Sabha.

“Even today, we are saying that there are 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, so implement the Act right now. Give the reservation to women, who are stopping you?” he said.

Tewari also questioned the government over the timeline of the earlier women’s reservation law passed in 2023, saying it was notified only on April 16, 2026.

“If they were truly sensitive about women’s reservations, why did it take them nearly 30 months to officially notify the law?” he asked.

The Congress leader added that the government now wanted to implement reservation on the basis of the 2011 Census, which he described as outdated figures.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also welcomed the Bill’s defeat and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attempting to increase Lok Sabha seats under the guise of women’s reservation to eventually secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

“If the goal was to enforce the Women’s Reservation Bill, no additional steps would be necessary. The Bill could be enacted with minor adjustments to the 2023 Bill,” Revanth Reddy said at a press conference.

He alleged that expanding the Lok Sabha to around 850 seats could politically benefit states where the BJP is stronger and help the party secure the numbers needed to amend the Constitution.

“This would enable them to achieve a two-thirds majority and pass legislation in the Lok Sabha aimed at altering the Constitution and eliminating reservations,” he said.

Revanth Reddy also urged the Union government not to create a North-South divide through delimitation and said southern states were equal stakeholders in the nation’s growth.

“Don’t try to create a divide between North India and South India. We are also the stakeholders of this nation, citizens of this country, and we are willing to give all it takes for the growth of the nation,” he said.

He added that the Opposition INDIA bloc would fully support a fresh women’s reservation Bill if introduced without controversial linked provisions.

The criticism followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on April 18, in which he accused the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and DMK of blocking the proposed ‘Nari Shakti Vandan’ amendment aimed at increasing women’s participation in politics.

The Prime Minister said the amendment was meant to expand representation for women and not to take away the rights of any section. (IANS)