Sanjay Singh Questions Centre Linking Women Reservation To Delimitation

AAP MP Sanjay Singh and Congress MP Manish Tewari criticize the Centre for linking the Women's Reservation Bill to delimitation, demanding the 33 percent quota be implemented immediately using the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats.

Sanjay Singh Questions Centre Linking Women Reservation To Delimitation

Chandigarh [India], November 13 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Friday questioned the Centre over linking the implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill with delimitation, saying that the 33 per cent quota could be implemented on the basis of the existing number of seats.

Speaking to ANI, Sanjay Singh said the Women's Reservation Bill had already been passed and could be implemented immediately by providing 33 per cent reservation based on the current number of seats. "The Women’s Reservation Bill has already been passed. It just needs to be implemented. And how can it be implemented? By providing a 33% reservation based on the current number of seats. Who has stopped you? Tell me, who is this person holding you back? We will fight against them; just tell us who it is! They are simply trying to stage a drama around delimitation. Is the goal to increase your seats in places like UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Haryana, so that you never lose an election for the rest of your lives? I suppose PM Modi and Amit Shah are the only ones with any intelligence, while every other party is foolish, completely devoid of any sense! If we go by your version of delimitation, the number of seats would increase in every region where the Bharatiya Janata Party is currently strong. That way, you’d never lose again! Stop trying to fool people. If you truly want to provide reservations for women, let me state this very clearly: the Women’s Reservation Bill has already been passed by everyone. If Narendra Modi wishes, he could implement it starting tomorrow," Singh told ANI.

Congress MP Manish Tewari also questioned the need for a special session to implement the women's quota, saying that one-third of the existing Lok Sabha seats and seats in Legislative Assemblies could simply be reserved for women. Speaking to ANI, Tewari said, “There are 543 members in the Lok Sabha, along with the Legislative Assemblies; simply reserve one-third of these seats for women. There is absolutely no need for a 'special session,' a 'super special session,' or a 'very special session' for this. So, what is the objection? The fundamental objection is that you are attempting to push through these 'refinements' under the guise of the Women's Reservation Bill. The Lok Sabha doesn't function with just 543 members, but if you expand it to 850, are you trying to turn it into the National People's Congress of China?"

Their remarks come amid the ongoing political debate over women's reservation and the proposed delimitation exercise, with the implementation of the 33 per cent quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies linked to a census and a subsequent delimitation exercise. The proposed Delimitation Bill aims to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP, maintains that delimitation is a constitutional necessity to reflect new census data and facilitate the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha. However, the opposition INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, has demanded the immediate implementation of 33 per cent women's reservation in the existing 543-member Lok Sabha and opposed linking it to the delimitation exercise.

Earlier, in August, the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which began on July 20, was adjourned sine die after 19 sittings spread over 25 days. During the session, 12 Bills were passed, but only one, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, was debated in the House. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 16 to expand the strength of the Lower House to 850 seats and expedite the implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill passed in 2023. However, the Bill failed to secure the constitutionally required special two-thirds majority of members present and voting in Parliament and was consequently not passed. (ANI)