Delimitation proposal will have serious consequences

Excerpts of the Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge’s Opening Remarks at the CWC Meeting on April 10, 2026

As you are all aware, the Modi government has suddenly become active regarding women’s reservation, following a prolonged silence. In this context, a parliamentary session is scheduled to be held between April 16 and 18 to address the issue of 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.

We have not yet received any formal proposal from the government regarding this matter. We have gathered certain details after reading the article written by the Prime Minister. During this session, the government intends to pass a significant constitutional amendment bill so that they may claim credit and reap the benefits during the upcoming Assembly elections. According to the information received so far, the government intends to implement women’s reservation starting from the 2029 elections. Furthermore, it aims to increase the existing number of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies by 50 percent.

It intends to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816. A proportionate increase will also take place in the Legislative Assemblies. This DELIMITATION proposal will have serious consequences; therefore, the issue of delimitation requires deep and thorough deliberation.

The Modi government is convening the parliamentary session with the sole intention of securing political advantage. It seeks to pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill as expeditiously as possible. We—along with the floor leaders of other opposition parties—wrote to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs on three separate occasions, requesting that the government convene an All-Party meeting after April 29—the final day of voting for the West Bengal elections—to facilitate a serious and substantive discussion. However, despite our collective appeals, the government disregarded our suggestions—opting instead to prioritize a change in narrative and electoral gains.

This constitutes a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. However, we do not expect the Election Commission—which is functioning essentially as a subordinate office of the Ministry of Home Affairs—to even take cognizance of these matters.

This session of Parliament has been convened at a time when most Members of Parliament are occupied in their respective constituencies due to the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. However, this is nothing new for the Modi government. Undermining democracy and taking arbitrary decisions has become a habit for it—something we have consistently opposed. The issue of women’s reservation is an integral part of the Congress Party’s commitment to social justice. The Congress has consistently been at the forefront of women’s empowerment. We do not need to seek validation from anyone regarding issues such as the welfare of women and the marginalized sections of society. It was the Congress that realized the provision of one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies.

This initiative was pioneered by Rajiv Gandhi. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments were enacted in 1993, during the tenure of the Congress government. As a result of this, approximately 1.45 million women today serve as elected representatives in rural and urban local bodies.

History bears witness that 100 years ago—at a time when women did not even possess the right to vote—Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian woman President of the Congress. From that time until the current President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, many women stalwarts have led our Party. Women have held significant roles in Congress governments. The Congress has consistently remained active in the direction of women’s reservation, and whenever the opportunity arose, it has continued to strive for it. We have consistently exerted pressure on the Modi government.

Sonia-ji and Rahul-ji wrote several letters. In 2023, during the Congress Working Committee meeting in Hyderabad, we held an in-depth discussion on this issue and urged the Modi government to convene a special session to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill. On September 23, 2023, while speaking on the Constitutional Amendment Bill, I demanded in the House that it be implemented immediately. However, the government decided that it would be implemented only after the Delimitation exercise and the Census. The country is aware of these facts; consequently, several questions arise regarding this issue.

We have convened this meeting of the CWC today so that a concrete strategy can be formulated after ascertaining all your views regarding the amendments proposed in Parliament. The proposed amendments are of a nature that could have a serious impact on our electoral system.

Therefore, following this meeting, we will formulate a collective strategy by holding discussions on these issues with our colleagues in the Opposition as well. We will move forward unitedly. I also wish for us to discuss the pressure that has now been thrust upon us due to the crisis in West Asia, and the predicament with which millions of people are currently grappling. Jai Hind — Jai Congress!