Passed by Parliament in September 2023 as the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, the law mandates one third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
The remarks followed after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to mandate 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state/UT Assemblies was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after a division of votes.
The SP leader also said that his party supports the idea of women’s reservation but raised concerns over its implementation and intent. He alleged that the government was trying to overlook women from backward and marginalised communities.
The discussion is expected to be intense, as several opposition parties have already expressed their disagreement with parts of the plan. While most parties agree with the idea of reserving seats for women, they have argued that it should be implemented without delimitation.
The government has introduced the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with the Delimitation Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha. A major proposal is to increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to a maximum of 850, with 815 seats allocated to states and 35 to UTs.
PM Modi is scheduled to address the Lok Sabha on the Women’s Reservation Constitutional Amendment Bill today as the Parliament convenes for a special session.
The Centre has indicated that the number of seats could increase by around 50 per cent across states, addressing fears, particularly from southern states, that more populous regions such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh might gain a disproportionate advantage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stepped up efforts to bring in the Women’s Reservation Act, calling it an important reform for women’s representation in legislative bodies. He recently wrote a letter to Nari Shakti stressing the need for quick action on the long-awaited measure.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla emphasised his sustained efforts to protect Parliament's dignity, citing key interventions like resolutions adopted at the Presiding Officers' Conference and repeated engagements with party leaders during Business Advisory Committee meetings.
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