Congress accuses Centre of pushing delimitation under the guise of women’s quota after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill defeat, and demands immediate implementation of reservation
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Centre following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, alleging that the government’s real agenda was not women’s reservation but “Modi preservation” and political consolidation through delimitation.
The opposition party termed the development a major setback to what it called “bulldozer politics”, asserting that the attempt to link women’s reservation with delimitation was a deliberate political strategy.
Congress Alleges Hidden Agenda Behind Women’s Quota Push
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Bill’s defeat marked a “victory of the Constitution and democracy”, accusing the government of attempting to introduce delimitation “through deceit” under the cover of women’s reservation.
“It was the defeat of the politics of bulldozer and a rushed delimitation. The Bill was not about women’s reservation but one of pushing delimitation through deceit,” Ramesh said.
He further remarked, “The issue was not women’s reservation but Modi preservation,” directly targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Demand for Immediate Implementation of Women’s Reservation
The Congress reiterated its demand that the women’s reservation law be implemented immediately on the current strength of the Lok Sabha, without linking it to delimitation.
The party urged the government to bring an amendment either during the Monsoon Session of Parliament or by May-end, to ensure timely rollout of reservation provisions.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had earlier pushed for implementation ahead of the 2024 general elections, but the party claims the government delayed action despite the law being passed in September 2023.
Questions Raised Over Delimitation and Lack of Clarity
Ramesh also questioned the assurances given by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, particularly regarding seat redistribution and proportional representation.
He argued that such assurances were not clearly stated in the Bill, raising concerns over transparency and trust.
“How can we trust verbal assurances when the Bill does not mention them in black and white?” he asked.
The Congress also alleged that the government intends to sideline the caste census debate, calling it another critical issue being ignored.
All-Party Meeting Demand and Political Showdown
The opposition party has demanded an all-party meeting after April 29, once the second phase of polling in West Bengal concludes, to discuss the government’s proposals in detail.
It also insisted that any future move on women’s reservation must include quota for OBC women and be implemented well before the 2029 general elections.
Bill Defeat and Numbers in Lok Sabha
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which proposed increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 to operationalise the women’s quota post-delimitation, failed to secure the required majority.
While 298 MPs voted in favour, 230 opposed the Bill, falling short of the two-thirds majority mark of 352 votes needed for passage in the Lok Sabha.
