A charged political debate is underway on the first day of the special session of Parliament on Thursday after Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Amit Shah introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha to amend the women’s quota law and set up a delimitation commission, amid opposition protests calling the proposals "anti-constitutional."
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla sanctioned a 15–18 hour debate on the three bills, with voting scheduled for 4 pm on Friday.
Defending the bills, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said "no state will suffer any loss" due to the implementation of this quota, while Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi accused the government of "bulldozing" the delimitation via backdoor using the Women's Reservation Act.
According to the draft Constitution amendment bill, 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. 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.
BJP MP Kangana Ranaut attacked the Congress for questioning the government's intention behind introducing a bill to amend the women's reservation law, and wondered why the opposition party kept the matter hanging for three decades when it was in power.
Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha, the actor-politician said, "Sonia Gandhi says why are they (BJP) in a hurry to bring the bill. Should we be like you and let it hang for 30 years?"
Ranaut also said she feels that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hurrying to deliver justice for women.
"What didn't happen in 60 years, he achieved in 10, be it pucca houses, providing gas cylinders, or inducting women into defence forces. One thing is certain: he is in a hurry to give justice to women."
Janasena Party MP from Andhra Pradesh, Tangella Uday Srinivas, on Thursday extended support to the women's quota bill, saying India speaks of women-led development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Participating in the discussion on the three bills related to women's quota and delimitation in the Lok Sabha, Srinivas said "this is not a change in words, this is a change in direction, vision".
"When you give women a seat, they do not just fill it, they transform it," Srinivas said.
He also said the bill to amend the women's quota law is a historic beginning, but what follows will define its true success.
"Reservation creates presence, but presence without support or real agency can become tokenism. We can not allow the reserved seats to become inherited positions quietly occupied by wives, daughters or relatives of those already in power," Srinivas said.
Congress leader K C Venugopal on Thursday demanded that the proposed amendments to the women's quota law be withdrawn and called for an all-party meeting to discuss its implementation, asserting that the Congress would support and cooperate with the government on this.
"Please withdraw this bill. Call an all-party meeting (on) how to implement the women's reservation bill. We will give good suggestions. We are ready to cooperate with the government. Don't try to sabotage the Indian democracy," Venugopal said.
Opposing the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Delimitation Bill, 2026; and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, he said the intention of the government is not to empower women through these laws, but to win elections only.
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj accused the opposition leaders of attempting to divide the country into north and south for political gains ahead of the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, saying that such efforts would fail.
"There are elections in Tamil Nadu, and the leaders of that state, for their political interests, are making efforts to divide the country into north and south. But these efforts will be unsuccessful," Swaraj said.
Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on three bills introduced for amendments to the women's quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, Swaraj said the women's reservation law is the ultimate destination, while the delimitation process is the road to achieve it.
Delimitation is not a BJP conspiracy but a mandatory constitutional provision needed to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the New Delhi MP said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said a "completely false" narrative is being spread that the representation of southern states will go down in the Lok Sabha after its strength is increased to 816 seats following the implementation of women's reservation and delimitation of constituencies.
Intervening in the debate in Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendment of the women's quota law and to set up a delimitation commission, Shah said the fact is that the number of seats will go up and power will grow.
He said the number of Lok Sabha seats in the five southern states will go up from the present 129 to 195 seats while the percentage of power will increase from 23.76 per cent to 23.87 or almost 24 per cent.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said the party supports women’s reservation, but stressed that the current debate is not about the principle of the quota.
"Congress supports women's reservation but debate not on that; bills smell of politics," she said.
She said all sections cannot receive their due share without a caste census, and criticised the government for moving ahead on the basis of the 2011 Census, which does not include updated data on Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
She added that if the proposed Constitution amendment bill gets passed, democracy in India will be finished.
In a response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, the Congress said the prime minister addressed every issue except delimitation and showed "willful blindness" to the concerns of several states in the South, East, Northeast and North.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, said that uncharacteristically, "the non-grihasthi prime minister" delivered only a 40-minute speech in the Lok Sabha.
"Characteristically, he addressed every matter other than the key issue that is actually at stake in the special session of Parliament â delimitation.
He didn't address a single concern raised around it," Ramesh said.
The Congress also claimed that the government's "insidious attempt" to subvert the Constitution and hijack the system will undoubtedly face defeat in the Lok Sabha when the three bills to amend the women's quota law and set up a delimitation commission are put to vote.
The ruling NDA lacks the numbers in Parliament to pass the women’s reservation bills with the required two-thirds majority, unless it secures backing from other parties or ensures some members abstain.
The NDA currently has the backing of 293 Lok Sabha members, accounting for 54 per cent of the House, while the opposition holds 233 MPs.
While 7 MPs are independents, seven belong to parties like the YSRCP, AIMIM and Shiromani Akali Dal, which have yet to openly support the bills.
The rules require 360 MPs to support the bills, including the Constitution amendment bill, which comes to two-thirds of those present and voting.
For the bills to get approval from the Lok Sabha, at least two main opposition parties from amongst the Samajwadi Party (37 MPs), Trinamool Congress (28 MPs) or DMK (22 MPs) would have to abstain.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that Members of Parliament have been given an opportunity to include women in decision-making through the women’s quota law, calling it a key step in India’s development journey.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, he said India is moving ahead in the 21st century with confidence. He added that a truly developed nation is not defined by infrastructure alone, but by the meaningful participation of women in policymaking.
Modi said those who opposed reservation for women were “never forgiven” by women in the country and warned that those opposing the bill now would pay a political price for a long time.
He further asserted that no injustice will be done to any state while implementing the women's reservation law.
Urging the opposition to pass the amendments to women reservation law unanimously, Modi said, "I give you a blank cheque for claiming credit on passage of the women's quota bill".
He urged MPs not to miss the opportunity to implement the quota, stressing that it should not be viewed through a political lens.
He also said the issue should not be given a political colour, adding that if all parties move forward together, the decision would strengthen the country’s democracy rather than benefit any single party.
In a jibe at the DMK for the black attire protest, Modi said that he thanks them for putting 'Kala Tika' on bills to ward off evil eye.
Highlighting his own background, Modi said he comes from a “most backward community” but sees it as his responsibility to take everyone along.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that Muslims will not be given reservation on the basis of religion as such a quota would be unconstitutional.
During a fiery 40-minute debate, following which three bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha for amendment of the women's quota law and to set up a delimitation commission, Shah said a caste census will be carried out along with population enumeration during the ongoing census exercise.
"The question of providing reservation to Muslim women on the basis of religion does not even arise. Our Constitution does not allow at all to give reservation on the basis of religion. I want to make it clear our government's resolve that Muslims will not be given reservation on the basis of religion. Such reservation is unconstitutional," a combative Shah said after the Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav spoke in favour of giving a quota to Muslims.
"Right now, the counting of households is underway and the households do not have any caste. If the Samajwadi Party had its way, they would determine the caste of households as well," he said.
Shah also said "if the Samajwadi Party gives all its tickets to Muslim women, where do we have any objection, we have no objections at all." He said that during the population enumeration, the census authorities would keep a provision for caste enumeration, "which I personally want too."
"I want to make it clear that this census will be conducted along with caste enumeration," the home minister said.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged the women’s reservation bill was driven by electoral motives, claiming it was aimed at helping the BJP stay in power rather than delivering reform.
Speaking during the debate in Lok Sabha, Akhilesh took a dig at the government on the Women’s Reservation Bill, saying, "BJP has made ‘Nari’ (women) their ‘Nara’ (slogan)."
He said the party would not succeed, citing discontent among women over rising household costs and shortages of essentials such as LPG cylinders, adding the BJP’s "dice will not suffice."
"The BJP’s vote is reducing and they are bringing reservation for that. The BJP is playing this ploy through women, but the most troubled are women. Their kitchens have been empty," Yadav said.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya defended the government’s delimitation push, accusing the opposition of "misleading" southern states and calling it the "best deal" for the South and smaller states that have controlled population growth.
"Opposition is misleading the people of southern states. This is the best deal the Modi government has provided to the South and smaller states that have controlled their population," he told the Lok Sabha.
Tejasvi said the Constitution mandates delimitation in 2026 and the government was acting to fulfil that requirement, while accusing Congress governments of "politics of postponement."
He rejected Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s GSDP-linked delimitation model as "unconstitutiona", "ludicrous" and "laughable", arguing GDP cannot be the basis for seat allocation.
Surya also criticised DMK protests in Tamil Nadu as "drama" and accused the opposition of opposing the bills "for the sake of opposing."
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said that the opposition stands united in opposing the delimitation bill "disguised as women's reservation."
"The Opposition will not allow Parliament to be hijacked by flawed delimitation bills disguised as Women's Reservation. We stand united and will fight this devious assault on our Democracy with all our strength," Kharge posted on X.
Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress' Deputy leader in Lok Sabha, told the House that the government’s bills were not aimed at women’s reservation, but were intended to "push delimitation through the backdoor."
Gogoi claimed the government is "bulldozing" delimitation in the name of women’s reservation and called for the quota to be implemented on the current strength of 543 Lok Sabha seats, not linked to delimitation.
He flayed the Government for "creating obstacles repeatedly" and accused it of not being in favour of women's reservation and caste census.
"You are again and again creating hurdles for women's reservation. If you had listened to us in 2023, women's reservation would have been implemented in 2024. We are urging that women's reservation should not be linked with delimitation. If you do that, we will definitely support it. This bill is not for women's reservation, but it is for delimitation through the back door," Gogoi said.
Defending the proposed legislations, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said there would be an equal increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha to 815 seats, of which 272 would be reserved for women, adding that neither men nor any state would suffer any loss after the implementation of the quota.
Meghwal also added that there will be quota for women belonging to SC, ST within the women quota in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
"There will be an equal, 50 percent increase in the strength of Lok Sabha members, and this will translate to 815 seats, of which 272 will be reserved for women, which comes to one-third of the strength of the House. There will be no loss to anyone (states), and they will retain their strength," Meghwal told the Lok Sabha.
Speaking in Lok Sabha, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju says, "The discussion will be held for 12 hours. The speaker should have the authority to extend the time for discussion. The voting on the bills will be done tomorow."
Speaker Om Birla says, "Discussion on these three bills will be held for 15-18 hours. Voting on these bills will be done at 4 pm tomorrow."
Constitution amendment bill to tweak women quota law -- officially known as the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023 -- introduced in Lok Sabha after division of votes. As many as 251 members support introduction of bill to amend women quota law. 185 oppose it.
Lok Sabha allowed the introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, aiming to expand the Lok Sabha's strength from 543 to 850 members, after 207 MPs vote for and 126 members voted against the legislation after Opposition pressed for division of votes to introduce bill to tweak women quota law.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal proposed to introduce the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha.
Home Minister Amit Shah proposed to introduce the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal proposes to introduce the Delimitation Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till Friday morning after oath-taking by newly elected members and obituary references.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin was among those who took oath as a Rajya Sabha member. The newly elected MPs represent Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Maharashtra.
The MPs who took the oath are Terash Gowalla (BJP), Jogen Mohan (BJP), and Pramod Boro (UPP-L), all from Assam.
Nabin, Upendra Kushwaha (RLM), Ram Nath Thakur (JDU), and Shivesh Kumar (BJP) have been elected from Bihar; while Laxmi Verma (BJP) and Phulo Devi Netam (Congress) represent Chhattisgarh.
Karamvir Singh Boudh (Congress) and Sanjay Bhatia (BJP) represent Haryana, while Anurag Sharma of Congress has been elected from Himachal Pradesh.
Others who took the oath were Vinod Shridhar Tawde (BJP, Maharashtra) and Sujeet Kumar (BJP, Odisha).
Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Vem Narendar Reddy, both from Congress, represent Telangana.
Opposing the bills introduced by the Centre, DMK’s TR Baalu said in the Lok Sabha, "We favour the 2023 women’s quota law, but the present bill is aimed at delimitation."
Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin hoisted a black flag and burnt a copy of the proposed Delimitation Bill, intensifying his protest against the Centre’s move to table the legislation in Parliament.
DMK members were dressed in black clothes in LS to protest amendments to women reservation law.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas said parliamentary assemblies could become “dysfunctional” if the number of members increases following delimitation.
"The governement is using people, especially Women Reservation Bill, for their own reputation and political image… After 543 seats, and especially after delimitation, people are asking what will happen. It is not about North-South divide, but there is a fear that parliamentary assemblies could become dysfunctional if the number of members increases too much, like 815 members, making it difficult to manage effectively," he said.
"If this balance of representation is disturbed, even leaders like Gandhi or Atal Bihari Vajpayee would have found it problematic. There is concern that such changes may not be good governance and may not serve the country well," Brittas addded.
Samajwadi Party protested the bills seeking changes to the women’s quota law, questioning the move to delink delimitation from the Census. Calling for wider inclusion, SP’s Dharmendra Yadav said women from backward classes must be accommodated in the quota for Parliament.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the rush to introduce the bills. “We support women’s reservation in legislatures, but why not conduct the Census?” he asked in the Lok Sabha.
Responding to Akhilesh, HM Amit Shah said, "Akhilesh Yadav asked why the census is not being conducted. I want to inform the entire country that the census process has already begun. The government has taken a decision to conduct a caste census, and the enumeration is being carried out along with caste data."
"If it were up to the Samajwadi Party, they would even assign castes to households. Dharmendra Yadav spoke about giving reservations to Muslim women. This is unconstitutional. Reservation based on religion is unconstitutional," he added.
As the Centre introduced the delimitation and women’s quota bills in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP KC Venugopal launched a scathing attack, questioning why proposed changes to the women’s quota law were being incorporated when it had already been passed by Parliament.
"I object to the bill introduced by Union Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Amit Shah. This bill is a fundamental attack on the Indian federal structure. What exactly is the intention of this bill? The parliament passed the bill in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, ensuring 33 per cent reservation of women," Venugopal said in the House.
To this Union Home Minister Amit Shah responded claiming Venugopal "cannot speak on the merits of bills, and he can raise only technical objections to the introduction of the bills." He added that the government "will give a strong reply to the Opposition during the debate."
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Home Minister Amit Shah moves to introduce bills to tweak women quota law and set up delimitation panel.
Shah introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, officially known as the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, which reserves one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women ahead of the 2029 general elections.
Meghwal proposed to introduce the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha, aiming to expand the Lok Sabha's strength from 543 to 850 members.
Prior to the proceedings, Opposition parties under the INDIA bloc met in the Parliament premises on Thursday to chalk out their strategy for the special session, focusing on their stand on the Women's Reservation Bill and the proposed delimitation Bill. Opposition parties are set to bills, including those on women's reservation and delimitation, in both Houses of Parliament.
The three-day special session of Parliament with focus on women's reservation and delimitation is underway.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Thursday said that discussions regarding the Women's Reservation Bill and the proposed delimitation exercise would take place in Parliament. "Further discussions on this will take place in the House," Meghwal told ANI, responding to queries on the Women's Reservation Bill and delimitation.
The three important bills are likely to be introduced in the special session of Parliament starting today, including one to reserve seats for women in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and another to redraw constituency boundaries. The opposition has raised concerns about the reasons for changing these boundaries and increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to a maximum of 850.
The Congress on Thursday said the true intent of the bills being brought by the government in the garb of implementing women's quota law is mischievous and they have to be rejected completely in their present shape and form.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the three bills are being taken up in Lok Sabha and the packaging and marketing is women's reservation but the fundamentals have to do with delimitation.
"Many concerns have been raised from across the country regarding the delimitation proposals that privilege a few populous states where the BJP is strong now. The relative strength of a number of states in the Lok Sabha will actually decline," Ramesh said on X.
The way delimitation has actually been done in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir shows how "diabolically the Modi-Shah duo work" he said.
"The true intent of these Bills is mischievous, their content devious, and their damage enormous. They have to be rejected completely in their present shape and form," Ramesh asserted.
"The Opposition demand is simple: Reserve one-third of the current strength of the Lok Sabha of 543 for women along with reservation for women belonging to SC, ST, and OBC communities," he said.
This was the Opposition's position in 2023 and this continues to be the position even now, he added.
Delimitation Bill, 2026 (replacing the 2002 law), proposes expanding Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 seats based on 2011 Census. Law to override existing provisions. Delimitation Act, 2002, to be repealed.
Centre to constitute a Delimitation Commission via notification, which will redraw Lok Sabha and Assembly seats using 2011 Census data.
Commission to be headed by current or former Supreme Court judge; Chief Election Commissioner or an Election Commissioner nominated by the CEC, and the concerned State Election Commissioner to serve as ex-officio members.
Commission’s term to be fixed, with provision for extension by Centre
Mandate includes seat allocation to states/UTs and redrawing constituencies. Up to 10 associate members per state (MPs, MLAs) to assist the exercise. Commission can seek inputs from Census officials, Surveyor General, GIS experts
Constituencies to be geographically compact, factoring boundaries and connectivity. Draft proposals to be published; objections invited before finalisation.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday hoisted a black flag and burnt a copy of the proposed Delimitation Bill, intensifying his protest against the Centre’s move to table the legislation in Parliament.
The symbolic protest is part of a larger statewide call given by him, urging people to hoist black flags at their homes, in streets, and at commercial establishments to express opposition.
After burning the bill, slogans of “Tamil Nadu will fight” and “We will win together” were raised by the Chief Minister and others present.
Ahead of the special Parliament sitting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India was set to take a "historic step" towards women's empowerment.
"Starting today, in the special session of Parliament, our country is all set to take a historic step towards women's empowerment. The respect for our mothers and sisters is the respect for the nation, and with this very spirit, we are moving forward resolutely in this direction," the PM posted on X.
The Centre has called a special sitting of Parliament from April 16 to 18.
The government is planning to implement the women's reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.
The government has proposed to increase the number of seats in the House to 850, with 815 seats proposed for the States and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats at present.
The opposition to the proposed delimitation bill has been mounting for a long time and has escalated after the Centre's recent approval of draft amendment bills to operationalise the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023. The opposition has also objected to haste in convening a special Parliament sitting amid the election season.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, is set to table the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam at the special three-day sitting of the Budget Session.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the special session of Parliament this afternoon.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women legislators, is linked to the delimitation process in the Lok Sabha. The government is planning to implement the women's reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.
Opposition parties across the country have questioned the BJP-led NDA government over delimitation, expressing concern over the proposed exercise that has seen southern non-BJP CMs rally together, expressing concern over their state's interests.
Opposition leaders raised concerns over the lack of consensus and timing of the session and have resolved to vote against the amendments in Parliament, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
Kharge said in Delhi that several opposition parties have decided to unitedly vote against the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, while asserting that they are not against womens' reservation. They were opposed to the manner in which the bill is being brought.
"All of us are in favour of the women reservation bill, but have reservations on the way in which it is being brought. It is politically motivated. Just to gag and suppress opposition parties, the government is doing this," Kharge said.
"We are continuously supporting women's reservation. We are insisting that an earlier amendment that was passed be implemented. They (the BJP-led government) are playing tricks with delimitation. Therefore, all parties have taken a decision unitedly to oppose this bill," he added.
Parliament is set for a high-stakes showdown during a special session from April 16 to 18, as the Union government moves to amend the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Act) and introduce a delimitation bill to expand the Lok Sabha to 850 seats.
The core issue is delimitation, which opposition parties say would reduce representation for southern states while favouring northern ones. They have urged the government not to link the delimitation exercise with the implementation of the women’s reservation law.
The government plans to operationalise the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023), which reserves one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, ahead of the 2029 general elections through an amendment to the 2023 law.
It will also introduce the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing to expand the Lok Sabha to 850 seats and amend Articles 81 and 82. The bill seeks to delink delimitation from the 2027 census, allowing the exercise to be based on pre-2026 population data.
Three bills are slated for the April 16–18 session: the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The proposed expansion would raise Lok Sabha seats from the current 543 to 850, including 815 seats for states and 35 for union territories.