Oppn to oppose delimitation in Constitution amendment bill: Kharge

Several Opposition parties on Wednesday resolved to unitedly oppose the delimitation provisions in the proposed Constitution amendment bill, even as they reiterated their support for women’s reservation in legislatures.

After a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders and other parties at his residence, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Opposition’s objection was not to the idea of reserving seats for women, but to the manner in which the government was introducing the bill. He alleged that the move was “politically motivated” and aimed at disadvantaging Opposition parties.

“All of us are in favour of the Women’s Reservation Bill, but have reservations on the way in which it is being brought. It is politically motivated… just to gag and suppress Opposition parties,” Kharge told reporters, adding that parties had “taken a united decision to oppose this bill.”

Leaders from several INDIA bloc constituents, along with the Aam Aadmi Party, met to chalk out a joint strategy for Parliament’s three-day special sitting beginning Thursday.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the opposition would strongly resist the legislation. “The Opposition will do whatever it takes to defeat the Constitution Amendment Bill… The country should prepare itself for a political earthquake,” he wrote on X.

The government plans to introduce the women’s reservation bill alongside a Constitution amendment bill for consideration and passage on the first day of the special session.

Kharge reiterated that while the Opposition had consistently backed women’s reservation — both in 2010 and when a constitutional amendment was passed unanimously in 2023 — the current proposal raised concerns. “Our demand is simple — implement the amendment instead of using it as a political tool,” he said.

He also accused the Centre of “playing tricks” with delimitation, warning that linking women’s reservation to a future census and delimitation process could allow the executive to manipulate representation. “We are not against women’s reservation. We are against the government’s attempt to link it to an unclear census and a future delimitation process,” he said, citing past examples in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi echoed the concerns, saying the Congress “unequivocally supports women’s reservation,” but alleged that the new proposal was “an attempted power grab using delimitation and gerrymandering.”

“We will not allow ‘Hissa Chori’ from OBC, Dalit and Adivasi communities… nor will we allow Southern, North Eastern, North Western and smaller states to be treated unfairly,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.

Congress leader K.C. Venugopal warned that the delimitation move could have “grave concerns” for India’s federal structure, while Ramesh alleged that the Delimitation Commission was being used as “a tool to win a majority for the ruling party.”

According to Ramesh, opposition parties favour implementing one-third reservation for women based on the current Lok Sabha strength of 543, without waiting for fresh delimitation. “Women’s reservation should be implemented, but we are totally against delimitation,” he said, adding that parties would oppose the provisions in both Houses.

Other opposition leaders also voiced strong objections. Trinamool Congress’s Derek O'Brien termed the bill a “stunt,” while CPI(ML) Liberation leader Dipankar Bhattacharya called it a “sinister” attempt that must be defeated to protect federal balance and representation.

The meeting was attended by leaders including DMK’s T.R. Baalu, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut and Arvind Sawant, NCP-SP’s Supriya Sule, and others, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav joining virtually.

The special session of Parliament, scheduled from 16 to 18 April, will take up amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which mandates 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, proposed to be implemented from 2029.

In the Lok Sabha, the ruling NDA has 292 MPs, while major opposition parties account for 233. Passage of the Constitution amendment bill will require a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.

With PTI inputs