Leaders of Left parties on Tuesday expressed strong concerns over the proposed constitutional amendments linked to women’s reservation and delimitation, warning that they could impact India’s federal structure and political balance.
John Brittas, Rajya Sabha leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said in a post on X, “The bills being introduced in the name of implementing Women’s Reservation amount to a death warrant for federal India.”
He also cautioned against the implications of the proposed delimitation exercise, arguing that it could reduce the political representation of southern states, which have effectively implemented population control measures.
"The government has outright rejected the opposition's demand for detailed discussions and consultations before proceeding with these constitutional amendments," he said.
Referring to assurances by the government, he mentioned, "When concerns were raised about the declining representation of southern states, the prime minister and other leaders claimed there would be 'a proportional increase in seats for all states equally.' However, the draft bills offer no such guarantee."
He warned that "if delimitation is carried out based on the 2011 Census instead of the 1971 Census, seats in the northern states will surge dramatically, while the representation of southern states will shrink or stagnate".
He called the move "a cunning strategy to reduce southern India to a political colony of the north."
Even with proportional increases, Brittas argued, "it would still deliver a severe blow to federal balance. In politics, absolute numbers matter far more than mere ratios."
Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, meanwhile, pointed to provisions in the proposed legislation. "Three bills to be taken up in the forthcoming Special Session (16-18 April) of Parliament are now out in the public domain," he said.
Bhattacharya noted that, "The One Hundred and Thirty First Amendment Bill providing for one-third women's reservation in Parliament and Assemblies has room for 815 members of parliament from various states of India and 35 from various union territories."
He pointed out that the current strength of Union Territories stands at 19 MPs.
"The proposed new number of MPs from UTs is nearly double the current strength. Is this a loaded hint about new UTs to be created by dividing Bihar and West Bengal?" he questioned.
The Budget Session of Parliament has been extended, and a special three-day sitting of the House has been convened from April 16 to 18, during which amendments to the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', more commonly known as the Women Reservation Act, will be brought for its implementation in 2029.
The government plans to bring a Constitution amendment bill, a bill on the delimitation law and an enabling bill for Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry, three Union territories with legislature, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday to fast-track the implementation of the women's reservation law of 2023.
(WIth inputs from PTI)
