JAIPUR: Following the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill during a special session of Parliament, women’s representation in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly is set for a significant increase.
At present, the Assembly has 200 seats, and with a 33 per cent reservation mandate, at least 66 seats will be earmarked for women under the current structure. However, the final number of reserved seats, as well as the total number of constituencies, will depend on the upcoming delimitation exercise.
It is notable that in the 2023 Assembly elections, only 21 women were elected, 10 from the BJP, 9 from the Congress and two independents, accounting for just 10.5 per cent of the total strength.
Rajasthan currently has 25 Lok Sabha seats, but this number could rise by around eight after delimitation. At present, the state has limited female representation in Parliament, with one Congress MP and two BJP MPs.
Initially, it was widely believed that the implementation of women’s reservation would be delayed until after the next census and delimitation, pushing it beyond the 2028 Assembly and 2029 Lok Sabha elections. However, the Centre’s move to pass the amendment is being seen as a strategic step to fast-track implementation.
There is now a proposal to base delimitation on the 2011 Census, which could accelerate the rollout of the 33 per cent quota by increasing the total number of seats across legislatures.
An increase in Assembly seats will also shift the majority mark. Currently, in a 200-member House, a party needs 101 seats to form the government. If the Assembly expands to 266 seats, the majority mark will rise to 134.
The expansion will also affect the size of the Council of Ministers. As per rules, up to 15 per cent of legislators can be appointed as ministers. At present, this allows for a 30-member cabinet. If the Assembly strength rises to 266, the cabinet size could increase to around 40 members, potentially boosting women’s representation in ministerial positions as well.
Post-delimitation, if the Assembly expands to 266 seats, around 85 to 90 seats would be reserved for women. This would mark a more than fourfold increase in women’s representation in the House.
The issue has now triggered a political controversy. Madan Rathore suggested that the number of Assembly seats could go up to 304.
However, Leader of the Opposition Tikaram Jully questioned the basis of this claim. He asked how such projections are being made when the Delimitation Commission has not yet been constituted.
Jully also raised concerns about alleged behind-the-scenes activity, claiming that an office on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg is informally working on delimitation. He demanded an investigation into who is involved in the process and under what authority.
As the debate intensifies, the eventual shape of Rajasthan’s political landscape will hinge on how and when the delimitation exercise is carried out, and whether women’s reservation is implemented before the next round of elections.