Delimitation, not women's reservation, is real issue: Sonia Gandhi attacks Centre

Delimitation and not women's reservation is at the heart of the Centre's move to convene a special Parliament session from April 16 to 18, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said. She warned that the delimitation proposal amounts to an "assault on the Constitution."

In Short

• Sonia Gandhi claims PM Modi using women’s reservation to delay caste census
• She warns delimitation plan is dangerous and undermines Constitution
• She demands debate on women's reservation bill be held in Monsoon Session

Delimitation, not women’s reservation, is the core issue behind the Centre’s decision to convene a special session of Parliament from April 16 to 18, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said, warning that the delimitation proposal is “extremely dangerous” and an “assault on the Constitution”.

In an op-ed in The Hindu, Sonia Gandhi cited unofficial information about the government’s delimitation plans, expressing concern that they could significantly alter political representation and undermine constitutional principles.

Her remarks come amid renewed focus on the Women’s Reservation Bill, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides for one-third reservation for women in legislative bodies and was passed in 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to all political parties seeking support for an amendment to the law.

The proposed move aims to delink its implementation from the 2027 Census and instead base it on the 2011 Census, ensuring the reservation comes into force ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha election.

In the op-ed, Sonia Gandhi emphasised that any delimitation exercise that expands the strength of the Lok Sabha must ensure fairness in political representation, not merely rely on numerical calculations.

She reiterated that delimitation, not the implementation of women’s reservation, is the core issue behind the government’s legislative push, cautioning that the proposed exercise could have far-reaching implications.

She alleged that PM Modi was using the women's reservation push to “delay and derail” the caste census, while attempting to secure political advantage ahead of elections in West Bengal, Assam, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.

Sonia Gandhi said PM Modi’s outreach to opposition parties for support of proposed bills comes even as election campaigning peaks in states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

She argued that the “extraordinary hurry” to convene the session suggests a calculated attempt to put the Opposition on the defensive and shape the political narrative. Accusing PM Modi of being “economical with the truth,” she described the move as reflective of a “my way or the highway” style of governance.

Referring to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the Rajya Sabha MP noted that it introduced Article 334-A, mandating one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, to be implemented after the next Census and subsequent delimitation.

She pointed out that the Opposition had opposed linking the rollout to the Census, with Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge demanding its implementation from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a request the government had rejected.

She questioned the government’s reported plan to amend the delimitation provision to enable implementation by 2029, asking why it took nearly 30 months for this shift and why the Centre could not wait to hold wider consultations.

She also said the Opposition had repeatedly sought an all-party meeting after the West Bengal polls conclude on April 29, but the request was declined. Instead, she alleged, PM Modi has relied on public appeals and outreach events rather than institutional dialogue.

Raising concerns over delays in the Census, Sonia Gandhi noted that the 2021 enumeration was postponed, affecting welfare delivery under laws like the National Food Security Act. Although Census operations have now begun after a five-year delay, she said government claims of urgency for delimitation are unconvincing, especially as officials have indicated that key population data could be available by 2027 through digital enumeration.

On the caste census, Sonia Gandhi recalled that PM Modi had earlier opposed the idea before later announcing that the 2027 Census would include caste enumeration. She dismissed claims that such an exercise would delay Census outcomes, citing state-level surveys in Bihar and Telangana that were completed within months. She alleged that the Centre’s real intent is now to stall the caste census.

Sonia Gandhi also flagged the absence of clarity on the agenda for the special Parliament session scheduled from April 16 to 18, saying no formal proposal has been shared with MPs. She cautioned that any delimitation exercise must follow a Census and ensure political equity, not just numerical redistribution, particularly safeguarding states that have succeeded in population control from being disadvantaged.

She further highlighted that the women’s reservation law provides for quotas within quotas for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and reiterated the Opposition’s demand to extend similar provisions to Other Backward Classes.

Arguing that there is no compelling urgency, Sonia Gandhi said the government could instead hold consultations and bring any constitutional amendments in the Monsoon Session beginning mid-July.

She termed the current approach “deeply flawed and anti-democratic,” driven by “narrative management during troubled times,” and reiterated that delimitation, not women’s reservation, is the real and deeply concerning issue at hand.

- Ends
(with inputs from PTI)