'Government delaying women's reservation by linking it to delimitation': Citing the letter from Sonia and Rahul, Jairam Ramesh asks—"Why the further delay?"

On Tuesday, the Congress party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central Government of delaying the implementation of women’s reservation. The party stated that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had already written to the Prime Minister, demanding the immediate implementation of reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies; however, the Modi government remained dormant on this issue and subsequently attempted to defer it by linking it to the delimitation exercise.

Jairam Ramesh Shares Sonia Gandhi’s Letter

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh stated on the social media platform ‘X’ that, in 2017, the then Congress President Sonia Gandhi had written to Prime Minister Modi, appealing to him to ensure the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. She had urged the government to utilize its majority in the Lok Sabha to pass this historic legislation.

In her letter, Sonia Gandhi wrote that the Congress party has always stood in support of this law—and will continue to do so—as it would constitute a significant step towards the empowerment of women. She also recalled that the initiative to provide reservation for women in Panchayats and Municipalities was first pioneered by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the Congress party, an initiative that was subsequently enacted through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments.

What Did Rahul Gandhi Demand?

Meanwhile, Ramesh also shared an earlier letter from Rahul Gandhi, in which he had sought the Prime Minister’s cooperation to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. In his letter, Rahul Gandhi noted that the Women’s Reservation Bill had already been passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010, but had subsequently remained stalled in the Lok Sabha for various reasons.

Rahul Gandhi urged the Prime Minister that, if the government was truly serious about women’s empowerment, the Women’s Reservation Bill should be passed during the upcoming parliamentary session with unconditional support. He warned that any further delay would make it difficult to implement the legislation before the next general elections.

What is the Demand of the Opposition Parties?

The opposition parties have demanded that the Central Government immediately implement women’s reservation based on the existing 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, and introduce a new bill to this effect during the Monsoon Session of Parliament or by the end of May.

This statement comes at a time when the government’s Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday. This bill proposed the implementation of women’s reservation and an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816.

Why did the Women’s Reservation Bill not pass?

During the voting, 298 Members of Parliament (MPs) voted in favor of the bill, while 230 voted against it. Out of a total of 528 votes, a two-thirds majority—that is, 352 votes—was required for the bill to pass; however, the government was unable to secure this number.

The proposed bill outlined a plan to implement women’s reservation prior to the 2029 general elections, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 census. Additionally, provisions were included to increase the number of seats in the legislative assemblies of states and Union Territories to ensure a 33 percent reservation for women.