New Delhi: The Congress has alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government is pushing the Women’s Reservation Act primarily to divert public attention from major national issues.
Parliament passed a law in September 2023 to provide 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. However, the government had said the measure would be implemented only after the population census and constituency delimitation are completed.
With the census expected to be completed only in 2027, questions have been raised over whether the reservation can be in place before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. In this backdrop, the Centre has decided to move ahead using the 2011 census as the basis and is preparing amendments to the law.
As part of the plan, the number of Lok Sabha seats is expected to rise from 543 to 816. A special session of Parliament has been called on the 16th to introduce the proposed amendments.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed the Prime Minister is misleading people by saying southern states will not be affected by delimitation. He argued that delimitation would benefit larger, more populous states and could adversely impact southern states as well as Punjab, Haryana and the northeastern states, while also accusing the government of advancing the exercise without adequate public debate amid economic and foreign policy pressures.
