The special session of Parliament is scheduled to witness a crucial vote today on the Women's Reservation and Delimitation Bills. A two-thirds majority is mandatory to pass these constitutional amendments. The government convened this three-day special session specifically to clear three major bills, while following an intense debate in the Lok Sabha that concluded at 1:20 AM on Thursday, the proceedings will resume this morning leading up to the final vote. Amidst this, the government has already issued a notification regarding the Women's Reservation Bill.
Key Bills Introduced and Opposition's Demands
On Thursday, the government introduced the 'Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill 2026' for 33 percent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, along with the 'Delimitation Bill, 2026' and the 'Union Territory Law (Amendment) Bill, 2026'. Congress leader KC Venugopal has urged the government to withdraw the current bill and call an all-party meeting to build a broader consensus, while opposition parties have alleged that the government is using women's reservation as a pretext for delimitation to strengthen its political ground and deprive Other Backward Classes (OBCs) of their share. They argued that reservation should be decoupled from delimitation and implemented from 2029 based on the current 543 seats.
PM Modi's Appeal and Warning to Political Parties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to all political parties to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill related to the Women's Reservation Act unanimously. He warned that those who oppose the bill would have to pay a heavy price for a long time. The Prime Minister emphasized that this issue shouldn't be weighed on the scales of politics and stated he's willing to share the credit with opposition parties. Addressing concerns regarding delimitation, PM Modi clarified that the existing ratios would remain unchanged and the increase in the number of seats would follow the same proportion. Meanwhile, the Women's Reservation Act 2023 has come into effect as of April 16, according to a notification by the Union Ministry of Law.
Shashi Tharoor on 'Political Demonetization'
' He stated that this would cause immense damage to the country, as states that successfully controlled their population and strengthened themselves economically would be penalized. Conversely, states that only increased their population would gain total control over the country's governance. Tharoor compared women's reservation to a crop ready for harvest, accusing the government of delaying it by linking it to delimitation, which he believes requires careful consideration due to its impact on political power shifts.
Allegations of 'Human Shield' and Notification Controversy
DMK MP Kanimozhi accused the BJP of using women as 'human shields' by linking reservation to delimitation. She questioned why the government isn't implementing the reservation with the existing seats if it truly intends to empower women. Kanimozhi expressed concerns that the current delimitation method would disadvantage low-population states like Tamil Nadu. She also criticized the government's decision to notify the bill at 10 PM while the session was ongoing, calling it a sign of disrespect toward the House. On the other hand, Tamil Nadu BJP leader Khushbu Sundar thanked PM Modi, stating that the 33% reservation was a long-standing dream for every woman in the country.
INDIA Block Strategy for the Voting Session
According to sources, senior Congress leaders including Kakoli Ghosh, Manickam Tagore, KC Venugopal, and P Chidambaram have been tasked with ensuring the full attendance of all MPs from the INDIA block parties in Parliament today. The opposition aims to present a united front during the voting process for these three significant bills.