LIVE | Parliament special session: BJP using women as 'human shield' to bring Delimitation, says Kanimozhi

The Lok Sabha continues its debate on delimitation and women’s quota bills continues ahead of a 4pm vote. The NDA currently lacks the two-thirds majority to pass the bills.

Parliament’s special session entered its second day with NDA and Opposition contintuing to debate the women’s reservation and delimitation bills, ahead of a 4pm vote.

On Thursday, 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, as opposition termed the proposed legislations an "attack on the Indian federal structure".

A heated debate ensued between the Opposition and NDA lawmakers as Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear that no state will be discriminated against in the delimitation of constituencies, even as the opposition claimed democracy will be finished in India if the Constitution amendment bill is passed.

Modi also warned the opposition it would "pay a price for a long time" for opposing the three bills, saying that those who had opposed it in the past had suffered electorally.

Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress' deputy leader in Lok Sabha, told the House that the government is "bulldozing" delimitation "through the backdoor" in the name of women’s reservation. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged the bill was driven by electoral motives, claiming it was aimed at "helping the BJP stay in power rather than delivering reform."

In a sharp attack, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the government had earlier weakened democracy by exerting pressure on institutions like the Election Commission and the judiciary, and has now launched an “open attack” through the Constitution amendment bill.

Notably, the NDA lacks the numbers in Parliament to pass the women’s reservation bills with the required two-thirds majority.

The NDA currently has the backing of 293 Lok Sabha members, accounting for 54% of the House, while the opposition holds 233 MPs. The rules require 360 MPs to support the bills, including the Constitution amendment bill, which comes to two-thirds of those present and voting.

BJP using women as 'human shield', Delimitation will reduce South's collective bargaining power: Kanimozhi

DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Thursday criticised the move to amend the women’s quota bill alongside the delimitation bill, saying women in Tamil Nadu, with high literacy levels, would not allow their rights to be "hijacked."

Kanimozhi warned that linking women’s reservation to delimitation would reduce the collective bargaining power of southern states, calling the move a "trap" and accusing the BJP of using women as a "human shield".

She urged the government to implement reservations within the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats, saying women in the country had long been"starved for political power."

The DMK MP also questioned the timing of the government’s move to notify the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, asking what purpose the debate served if the law had already been brought into force.

Kanimozhi further questioned the urgency of the move, calling it an "electoral escape", and raised concerns over the proposed delimitation process, saying the commission would be appointed by the government without adequate consultation or parliamentary oversight. she asked what recourse would be available if its recommendations were contested.

Notably, DMK MPs continued to wear black for a second day in protest against the legislations introduced in the Parliament.

Opposition MPs flag Centre's late-night move to enforce Women’s Reservation Act, 2023

Proceedings in the Lok Sabha began on a stormy note, with Congress MP KC Venugopal questioning the late-night notification of the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, coming into force.

Venugopal asked "how can the minister move amendments to the Bill", without notifying the Act, as other MPs joined the chorus seeking a response from Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Notably, the Union Government late of Thursday notified that the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, came into effect from April 16, even as Parliament debates changes to enable its implementation from 2029.

Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, comes into force ahead of Lok Sabha vote on amendments

The Women’s Reservation Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), which provides a 33% reservation for women in the Parliament and state legislatures, came into force on Thursday, ahead of Friday's 4pm vote in the Lok Sabha which is discussing on the amendments to operationalise it.

The law was notified with effect from April 16, even as Parliament debates changes to enable its implementation from 2029.

An official explained that bringing the law into force was essential, as its proposed amendment will not have come into effect without that.

The constitution amendment Bill became a law but did not become part of the Constitution as the government did not bring it into force. If a law does not come into force, how can its proposed amendment be implemented. Hence it was brought into force with effect from April 16, the official explained.

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Harivansh elected RS Deputy Chairman, PM Modi hails it 'testament to deep trust of House'

Harivansh elected Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha for a third term, a day after the Opposition has announced a boycott of the April 17 election, accusing the government of undermining parliamentary conventions.

Speaking on the floor of the Upper House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Harivansh on being re-elected Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha. "Being elected as Deputy Chairman for the third consecutive term is a testament to the deep trust this House has in you, the benefits the House has received from your experience over the past period, and your efforts to take everyone along," he said.

"We have all seen the strength of the House grow even more effective under Harivansh's leadership. Not only does he conduct the proceedings of the House, but he also uses his past experiences to enrich the House with great precision," Modi said.

"I am confident that the Deputy Chairman's new term will proceed with the same spirit, balance, and dedication. Through the efforts of all of us, the dignity of the House will reach new heights," he added.

Withdraw Delimitation Bill it in full, retain current LS seats for 25 years: TN CM Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday urged the Centre to withdraw the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill and retain the current number of Lok Sabha seats for another 25 years, in line with the safeguards provided by the governments under Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"This Bill must not be rushed through in haste. The Union Government must withdraw it in full. If they attempt to bulldoze it through Parliament, emboldened by the numbers they have stitched together, and in complete disregard of our opposition, they will face the consequences in Tamil Nadu," Stalin wrote on X.

"What we demand is clear. The same constitutional safeguard that former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee provided by freezing delimitation through constitutional amendment must be restored", he added.

தொகுதி மறுவரையறைச் சட்டத் திருத்தத்தை ஒன்றிய பா.ஜ.க. அரசு மொத்தமாகத் திரும்பப் பெற வேண்டும்!

தமிழ்நாட்டின் அரசியலுக்கு மிக முக்கியமான நாள் இன்று. தொகுதி மறுவரையறைக்கு எதிரான நம் போராட்டங்களின் முடிவினை அறியப் போகும் நாள்.

நம்முடைய கடும் எதிர்ப்பினையும் போராட்டத்தினையும்… https://t.co/MxXNNgZwNH pic.twitter.com/uvSHcMhe1U

— M.K.Stalin - தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) April 17, 2026

Lok Sabha showdown: Surya-Raja spar on 'separatism', KTR slams Telangana remark

On Thursday, a heated exchange erupted in the Lok Sabha between BJP’s Tejasvi Surya and DMK’s A Raja during debate, with Surya accusing the DMK of “separatism” and backing a united India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Raja rejected the charge, saying the DMK stands firmly for nationalism and citing Tamil Nadu’s contributions during the 1971 war and the Kargil conflict.

Surya also drew criticism for linking Telangana’s statehood agitation with the Partition of India, with BRS leader K T Rama Rao calling the remarks “utterly foolish” and “arrogant” and accusing the BJP of showing “hatred” towards Telangana’s formation in Parliament.

Geetadi, the quiet architect of women’s quota

As India turns its attention to the question of women’s representation, it is imperative to recall the diminutive yet powerful figure who first made the demand politically inescapable: CPI's Geeta Mukherjee, fondly called ‘Geetadi’.

At a moment when the idea is finally moving from legislative promise towards implementation, remembering her is not merely an act of tribute— it is essential to understanding the long and unfinished history of the demand. She belonged to a political tradition in which ideas were shaped beyond immediate electoral arithmetic.

Long before women’s reservation entered mainstream political discourse, she recognised that the marginal presence of women in legislatures was not incidental but embedded in patriarchy.

READ FULL STORY HERE

NDA lacks numbers for women’s quota law passage

• Lok Sabha math: NDA Holds 293 MPs (54%) in Lok Sabha, well short of the 360 members needed for a two-thirds majority. BJP leads NDA with 240 MPs, followed by TDP (16) and JDU (12). Opposition has 233 MPs, with Congress leading the INDIA bloc with 98 MPs. An additional 14 MPs (independents + other parties like YSRCP, Shiromani Akali Dal, AIMIM) yet to declare support.

• Key hurdle: Bills require backing from opposition or abstentions to pass. Abstention or support from opposition parties like SP (37), TMC (28), or DMK (22) could be decisive.

• Rajya Sabha math: NDA has 141 MPs (58%) and opposition has 83 MPs. NDA needs 163 for two-thirds majority. BJP has 107 MPs, Congress has 28, TMC (13), AAP (10) and DMK (8).

• Swing votes: BRS, YSRCP, BJD, BSP and independents (20 MPs) could tilt the outcome closer to the government in Upper House.

• Legislative risk: Failure in Lok Sabha halts the bills before reaching Rajya Sabha, even as some BJP MPs privately acknowledge insufficient numbers.

Key takeaways from Delimitation Bill, 2026

• 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.