As Lok Sabha discusses women’s quota, two Rajya Sabha women MPs weigh in: ‘There is a hidden intent’, ‘No question of seats being reduced’

While Congress’s Ranjeet Ranjan questions timing and accuses the government of having ulterior motives, BJP’s Rekha Sharma calls it a "historic day".

As Parliament began discussing early implementation of women’s reservation and a delimitation Bill on Thursday, women MPs from both sides of the aisle in the Rajya Sabha, which is likely begin discussing the three Bills starting Friday, weighed in on the issue.

While the Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of introducing the Bills in Parliament because of “ulterior motives”, the BJP’s Rekha Sharma called it a “historic day”.

“The Bill was passed in 2023 and no one in the Opposition has any objection to it. We want that some of the existing 543 seats in Lok Sabha are reserved for women,” Ranjan said.

Ranjan went on to say it was the BJP which linked the Bill to the Census first, then to delimitation, and then reservation. “They kept the issue under wraps for 30 months and have suddenly remembered it. There is a hidden intent. The government does not want to implement women’s reservation. When you are ready to consider the 2011 Census, why did you not implement it in 2024? There is a Constitutional framework, the country is one, you can’t divide the north and the south. We will take this up in the House,” she said.

The BJP’s Sharma responded to the allegations of the timing saying if the reservation was not implemented now, it would have to wait till 2034.

“This is a historic day. Talk on women’s reservation have been going on since 1992. It came to the Parliament more than once, but was dropped. It was finally passed in 2023. Now, there are some amendments which will be passed to ensure 33% reservation for women in Parliament,” she said.

Saying that the Opposition’s concerns would be addressed when leaders address the House, she said, “They (Opposition) know it is very important. Delimitation is actually happening the way they want it. There is no question of seats being reduced in any part of the country. There is a clear formula which will ensure 50% seats will be increased across the board.”

Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with the national political bureau of The Indian Express. With over 16 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is a seasoned expert in national governance, electoral politics, and bureaucratic affairs. Having covered high-stakes beats including the Election Commission of India (ECI), intelligence, and urban development, Jatin provides authoritative analysis of the forces shaping Indian democracy. He is an alumnus of Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU) and the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, where he specialized in Print Journalism. Expertise High-Stakes Beat Coverage: Throughout his decade-and-a-half career, Jatin has covered some of the most sensitive and influential beats in the country, including: The Election Commission of India (ECI): Monitoring electoral policy, reforms, and the conduct of national and state polls. National Security & Intelligence: Reporting on the internal mechanisms and developments within India's security apparatus. Urban Development: Analyzing the policies and bureaucratic processes driving the transformation of India’s cities. National Political Bureau: In his current role, he tracks the intersection of policy and politics, offering deep-dive reporting on the Union government and national political movements. Academic Credentials: Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU): Alumnus of one of Delhi's premier institutions. Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai: Specialized in Print Journalism at India's most prestigious journalism school. ... Read More

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As Parliament began discussing early implementation of women’s reservation and a delimitation Bill on Thursday, women MPs from both sides of the aisle in the Rajya Sabha, which is likely begin discussing the three Bills starting Friday, weighed in on the issue.

While the Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of introducing the Bills in Parliament because of “ulterior motives”, the BJP’s Rekha Sharma called it a “historic day”.

“The Bill was passed in 2023 and no one in the Opposition has any objection to it. We want that some of the existing 543 seats in Lok Sabha are reserved for women,” Ranjan said.

Ranjan went on to say it was the BJP which linked the Bill to the Census first, then to delimitation, and then reservation. “They kept the issue under wraps for 30 months and have suddenly remembered it. There is a hidden intent. The government does not want to implement women’s reservation. When you are ready to consider the 2011 Census, why did you not implement it in 2024? There is a Constitutional framework, the country is one, you can’t divide the north and the south. We will take this up in the House,” she said.

The BJP’s Sharma responded to the allegations of the timing saying if the reservation was not implemented now, it would have to wait till 2034.

“This is a historic day. Talk on women’s reservation have been going on since 1992. It came to the Parliament more than once, but was dropped. It was finally passed in 2023. Now, there are some amendments which will be passed to ensure 33% reservation for women in Parliament,” she said.

Saying that the Opposition’s concerns would be addressed when leaders address the House, she said, “They (Opposition) know it is very important. Delimitation is actually happening the way they want it. There is no question of seats being reduced in any part of the country. There is a clear formula which will ensure 50% seats will be increased across the board.”