The bill is being discussed in this three-day session of Parliament
New Delhi. Supporting the bills related to amendment in the Women’s Reservation Act and formation of Delimitation Commission, ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders said that women have had to wait for years for reservation. The opposition alleged that the functioning of the government could weaken the federal and democratic structure of the country. ‘Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill, 2026’ and ‘Delimitation Bill, 2026’ and ‘Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026’ were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday for discussion and passing.
During this three-day meeting of Parliament, a provision is being made to amend the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Act’ (Women’s Reservation Act) and implement it by 2029, under which 33 percent reservation for women will be ensured in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
BJP MP Giriraj Singh expressed confidence in the Parliament House complex that the amendment in the Women’s Reservation Act will get wide support in the Parliament. He said, women have been waiting for years and now their patience is paying off. This bill will be passed collectively.
He termed the opposition’s apprehensions regarding the delimitation process as baseless and said that there will be no discrimination against any state, especially the southern states. BJP MP Sandhya Rai termed this initiative as historic and said that this will significantly increase the participation of women in governance.
According to the draft Constitution Amendment Bill, after delimitation based on the 2011 census, the number of Lok Sabha seats can be increased from the current 543 to a maximum of 850 to implement women’s reservation before the 2029 general elections.
Apart from this, the number of seats in the Legislative Assemblies of the States and Union Territories will also be increased to ensure 33 percent reservation for women and the allocation of reserved seats for women will be done sequentially in different constituencies.
JDU MP Lovely Anand criticized the objections of the opposition and said that when nothing has happened yet, then why is the delimitation being opposed. He said that this is in the interest of women. Opposition leaders have expressed serious concerns about the proposed delimitation process.
Congress party is supporting women’s reservation
Congress leader K. Suresh said that his party supports women’s reservation, but opposes the delimitation proposal related to it. Congress MP Hibi Eden said that he has given a procedural notice against this proposal. He alleged that the Delimitation Bill was a direct attack on the Constitution and would affect the rights of the southern states. He said that the increase in seats could create an imbalance between the northern and southern states, hence wide consultation with the states on the issue is necessary.
Opposition opposed the bill
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that his party is not against women’s reservation, but the SP opposes the way the government is bringing it. He said that delimiting on the basis of 2011 census would not ensure proper representation. The total number of NDA members in the Lok Sabha is 292, while the major opposition parties have 233 MPs. To pass a Constitution Amendment Bill, a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting in the House is required.
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