Jairam Ramesh seeks all-party meet on women's quota, opposes delimitation

Congress's Jairam Ramesh demanded an all-party meet to discuss implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (33% women's quota) with the current 543 Lok Sabha seats. He reiterated opposition to delimitation and urged implementation from 2029.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the implementation of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.

In an X post, Jairam Ramesh called for the implementation of reservation for women's reservation with the existing 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, reiterating an opposition to the delimitation exercise. Noting the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha, the Congress leader wrote, "Now that the election campaign is over and his mischievous move to ram through a diabolical delimitation of the Lok Sabha has failed miserably because of Opposition unity and solidarity, it is time for the PM to do what the Opposition has been unitedly and consistently demanding since mid-March 2026."

"An all-party meeting should be convened to discuss how the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, (that was finally notified in panic only in the late hours of April 16 2026) can be put into effect with the existing strength of the Lok Sabha from 2029 onwards. It is possible. It is desirable. It is essential," he added.

Ramesh Accuses PM of 'Political Agenda'

Ramesh asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make amends for his "sins" by delivering women's reservation. "Women's reservation was never the issue during the special session of Parliament. The agenda then was only delimitation for the PM's political preservation. It is now time for the PM to make amends for his sins of using India's women to drive through his personal political agenda - and to instead deliver justice to them," the X post read.

Background: Defeated Delimitation Bill

On April 17, in the division that took place on the Constitution Amendment Bill, 298 members voted in favour and 230 against. With the Constitution Amendment Bill defeated, the government later said it did not want to pursue the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, which were taken up together for discussion.

The Bills aimed to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816, with 33 per cent reservation for women. The delimitation was to be carried out based on the 2011 census. Opposition parties expressed support for women's reservation but were against the Delimitation Bill. They had called upon the government to implement the women's reservation in the existing strength of the Lok Sabha. (ANI)

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