Opposition leaders across party lines have raised questions on the Centre's timing of the amendment to women's reservation, suggesting that having a special session in the midst of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu polls could be a political manoeuvre aimed at shaping electoral narratives.
Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday said, "Why push such a far-reaching decision in the middle of state elections. This appears to be yet another political manoeuvre aimed at shaping electoral narratives, much like earlier attempts to influence women voters ahead of the 2024 Parliament elections," he alleged in a statement titled "This is not reform, this is reengineering power."
Last Friday, the Congress alleged that a special sitting, scheduled from April 16 to 18, to amend the women's laws shows an attempt to grab 'political mileage' in the Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
"The only objective of this special session is to grab political mileage and influence the elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Could it not have been called 15 days later?" asked Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh.
Last Sunday, Samajwadi Party national president, Akhilesh Yadav demanded that the reservation be based on the present population share of women. "When the head count is flawed, how can the reservation be calculated correctly?" he asked. "When the very intentions behind doing something are doubtful, it raises suspicion behind the entire move."
In a statement titled 'This is not reform, this is re-engineering power,' Stalin asked, "Why push such a far-reaching decision in the middle of state elections? This appears to be yet another political manoeuvre aimed at shaping electoral narratives, much like earlier attempts to influence women voters ahead of the 2024 Parliament elections."
Demanding fair delimitation, he alleged there was complete opacity on the basis for delimitation and asked would the exercise rely on 1971 figures from a pre–population control era or the 2021 Census. "Conflicting signals and vague assurances only deepen suspicion." This move would also impose a massive financial burden on states, forcing them to expand or rebuild Legislative Assemblies, all without proper consultation.
"This is a direct assault on cooperative federalism. This is not reform, it is a unilateral, politically driven exercise designed to concentrate power, weaken Parliament, marginalise the South, and undermine social justice," he alleged. "The nation deserves answers: why this undue haste, why shift the goalposts, and who truly stands to benefit."
The NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is systematically eroding the very foundations of Parliament, he alleged.
This exercise will blatantly skew representation and tilt the balance of power in favour of northern states dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party, while silencing the voice of south India, he claimed.
"As forcefully pointed out by veteran leader Siddaramaiah (Karnataka CM), this is not a neutral exercise; it is a calculated political restructuring. Northern states stand to gain nearly double the (Parliamentary) seats, while the South's share stagnates at around 24 per cent. This is nothing short of penalising states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Keralam and Telangana for their success in population control."
Chief Ministers across the South, including Siddaramaiah, Pinarayi Vijayan and A. Revanth Reddy have warned that this move will distort federalism and concentrate power in a few regions, the DMK president alleged.
PM Modi said on Thursday that the proposed amendments to the Women Reservation Act are not just a legislative exercise but a reflection of the aspirations of crores of women across India and urged all MPs to come together to support this significant move.
He had last week announced an extension of the Budget session of Parliament by three days, from April 16 to 18, so that the Women's Reservation Act can be amended for its implementation from 2029.