Thiruvalla 

Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighted the Centre’s push to operationalise 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, while also assuring that southern states will not lose parliamentary representation under any future delimitation exercise.

Addressing a rally in poll-bound Kerala, the Prime Minister said the law enabling one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was enacted during the tenure of the National Democratic Alliance government. He noted that upcoming sittings of Parliament scheduled for April 16–18 would focus on necessary legal amendments to facilitate its implementation.

Modi expressed hope that opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress, would support the proposed changes and allow them to pass with broad consensus. He reiterated that the objective is to ensure the benefits of women’s reservation are realised starting from the 2029 general elections.

He also addressed concerns regarding delimitation, stating that no state—particularly those in southern India that have performed well in population control—would see a reduction in their number of seats. Instead, he suggested that the total number of seats could increase, which would allow for women’s reservation without disadvantaging any region.

Meanwhile, the Congress has criticised the timing of the proposed parliamentary session, alleging that it could influence ongoing election campaigns in states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh argued that discussions on such a sensitive constitutional matter should take place after the conclusion of state elections and called for an all-party consultation.

He also referred to earlier communication between party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, emphasising the opposition’s demand for a more deliberative approach.

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The debate comes in the context of the women’s reservation legislation passed in 2023, with ongoing discussions about its timeline and implementation framework. Parliament, which was adjourned earlier this month, is set to reconvene on April 16.