NEW DELHI: As the Union government moves ahead with proposed amendments to the Women’s Reservation Act, Opposition parties have united in seeking greater clarity, calling for an all- party meeting to discuss the proposed changes. The amendments are expected to base the implementation of the Act on the 2011 Census, effectively delinking women’s reservation from the delimitation exercise.
Sources said that the Centre is considering convening a special two- day sitting of Parliament to introduce amendments to the 2023 law, which mandates 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
A senior Opposition leader said the decision to demand an all-party meeting was taken at a meeting of the INDIA bloc floor leaders on Monday evening, chaired by Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge. “All parties have agreed to submit a joint letter to the government requesting a meeting to explain the proposed amendments and provide clarity on the roadmap,” the leader said. The INDIA bloc is expected to meet on Tuesday morning to decide its next steps.
The development came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah held discussions with leaders of several regional parties, including the Biju Janata Dal, YSR Congress Party, NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), and AIMIM on Monday. However, major Opposition parties such as the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, and Left parties did not attend the meeting. Leaders pointed to earlier communication from Kharge to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, in which he had sought an all-party meeting on the issue.
An Opposition leader said that while some parties were invited for one-on-one discussions with the Home Minister, others were called in groups. “Some parties attended due to a communication gap, but there is broad consensus among the Opposition in demanding a formal all-party consultation,” the leader said.
While there are concerns among several southern states about the potential impact of delimitation on their political representation, a leader who attended the Home Minister’s meeting said the Centre is looking to address these apprehensions by increasing the total number of Lok Sabha seats on a pro rata basis. “Southern states need not be concerned. The proposal includes a 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats,” the leader said.
Under the proposed framework, the strength of the Lok Sabha could increase from 543 to 816 seats, with 273 seats reserved for women.
The original Act provides that women’s reservation will come into force only after the first Census conducted following the law’s enactment and the subsequent delimitation exercise. The next delimitation is expected after the 2027 Census, when constituencies will be redrawn based on updated population data.