New Delhi, August 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Opposition parties on Saturday said they were ready to support implementation of the women’s reservation law but opposed linking it with delimitation, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for political consensus on the issue.
Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on Independence Day, Modi called on political parties to work together to ensure greater representation for women in legislatures under the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
Communist Party of India MP P. Sandosh Kumar said his party supported women’s reservation and was willing to cooperate with the government, but objected to making its implementation contingent on delimitation.
“We are supporting women’s reservation. We are ready to cooperate with the government,” Kumar told IANS, adding that the government should implement the provision at the earliest and provide reservation in 181 Lok Sabha seats.
Congress MP Manish Tewari said his party had consistently supported one-third reservation for women in legislatures. He said the 543-member Lok Sabha should have one-third of its seats reserved for women, but cautioned against linking the provision with delimitation.
Tewari also questioned whether the government intended to implement the 2023 Women’s Reservation Bill in 2029 or make its implementation dependent on the delimitation exercise.
Congress leader Udit Raj alleged that although the Women’s Reservation Bill was passed in 2023, its notification had not been issued. He also claimed that attempts to link delimitation and women’s reservation had prevented progress on the issue.
The NDA, however, backed the Prime Minister’s appeal and accused the Opposition of obstructing women’s reservation.
Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi said Modi’s vision was to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, arguing that women had an equal right to participate in lawmaking. He claimed the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill could not move forward because of the Opposition’s stance.
BJP national spokesperson R.P. Singh also backed the proposal, saying the Prime Minister had highlighted the issue of women’s representation and that his party wanted women to receive reservation.
JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said the Prime Minister had used the Independence Day platform to appeal directly to political parties and the public after consensus could not be reached through parliamentary and all-party discussions.
The Women’s Reservation Bill, passed by Parliament in 2023, provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies, with implementation linked to delimitation following the first census conducted after the law’s enactment.
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