Congress Accuses Government of Delaying Women's Reservation Amid Controversial Delimitation
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has accused the central government of intentionally delaying the implementation of women's reservation by linking it to the controversial delimitation process. Despite repeated requests from party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, the Prime Minister has yet to take action. The remarks come after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill failed to secure the necessary votes in Parliament. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu defended the proposed delimitation, asserting it would not be unjust to any state. This ongoing political debate raises questions about the future of women's representation in Indian politics.
| Apr 21, 2026, 13:34 IST
Congress Leaders Demand Immediate Implementation of Women's Reservation
On Tuesday, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh criticized the central government, alleging that it is intentionally delaying the implementation of women's reservation by linking it to the contentious delimitation process, despite repeated requests from party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. In a post on X, Ramesh highlighted the party's ongoing demand for immediate implementation of the reservation, referencing previous letters from senior Congress leaders.
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Ramesh pointed out that as Congress president, Rahul Gandhi had written to the Prime Minister on July 16, 2018, urging for the immediate implementation of women's reservation. Eight years later, the Prime Minister appears reluctant to act on this demand, linking it to delimitation and delaying its execution. He recalled that in 2017, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the passage of the women's reservation bill. The Congress party's stance has remained steadfast and unchanged, while it is the Modi government that has failed to address this demand and has attempted to delay it by associating it with delimitation.
These remarks followed the failure of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to secure the necessary two-thirds majority in Parliament. The bill received 298 votes in favor and 230 against. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla confirmed that the bill was not passed, leading the government to decide against further action on the related delimitation bill and the Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill. The proposed legislation aimed to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816, including a 33 percent reservation for women, and linked its implementation to future delimitation exercises based on the 2011 census.
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Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu defended the proposed delimitation on Tuesday, calling it "inevitable" and asserting that it would not be unjust to any state. He criticized the Congress and DMK for their opposition. Speaking at a press conference on the last day of campaigning, Naidu dismissed claims by Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin that the opposition had defeated the proposal related to delimitation.