A heated and prolonged debate is underway in the Lok Sabha over the Women’s Reservation and Delimitation Bills. Addressing the House, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the proposed legislations are aimed at empowering women and ensuring fair representation. He noted that the Speaker had provided adequate opportunity for all members to present their views. Shah, however, accused the opposition INDIA bloc of attempting to stall the bills despite publicly expressing support.
Defending the need for delimitation, Shah explained that the exercise is intended to address the significant imbalance in voter populations across constituencies. He pointed out that while some constituencies have voters in lakhs, others have only a few thousand, which affects effective governance and representation. Equal distribution of voters, he said, would lead to better utilization of public funds and improved delivery of services. A total of 130 MPs participated in the debate, including 56 women MPs.
The Home Minister further stated that the number of Lok Sabha seats has remained unchanged since 1970, despite a steady rise in population. He argued that constituency numbers must be increased in line with demographic changes and that representation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should also expand proportionately. Shah also remarked that it was the Congress party that had originally linked population data with delimitation, underscoring the need for the current reforms.
Reiterating the government’s commitment, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to implement 33 percent reservation for women by the 2029 general elections. He assured that public opinion would be sought during the delimitation process and invited the opposition to place trust in the government. Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounds the passage of the bills, which require a two-thirds majority of at least 360 votes. While the NDA has 292 members, the opposition has 233, with Rahul Gandhi challenging the government and vowing to defeat the Delimitation Bill. Voting is expected later in the evening, keeping political circles on edge.