Dibrugarh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called on the Indian National Congress to extend full support to the proposed amendment to the women’s reservation law, urging political parties to avoid partisan disagreements on the issue.

Addressing a public rally in Dibrugarh, the Prime Minister announced that a special session of Parliament of India will be held from April 16 to 18 to deliberate on changes to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act. The amendment aims to operationalise 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha starting from the 2029 general elections.

Modi expressed hope that the measure would receive unanimous backing, emphasising that it is a crucial step toward strengthening women’s representation in governance. He also criticised the Congress for allegedly delaying the implementation of women’s reservation in the past.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised objections to the timing of the session, arguing that convening Parliament on April 16–18 could violate the Model Code of Conduct amid ongoing elections. He also noted that the government had earlier linked implementation of the law to future delimitation and census exercises, potentially delaying its rollout.

The Congress has suggested that an all-party meeting be convened after the completion of ongoing assembly elections to build broader consensus on the issue.

According to government sources, the proposed amendment bill may be introduced alongside a separate delimitation bill, which would redraw constituency boundaries and potentially expand the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats. Under such a scenario, around one-third—approximately 273 seats—would be reserved for women.

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Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also appealed to all political parties to support the initiative, stressing that women’s empowerment should remain above political considerations.