Karnataka deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar has stepped up the Congress attack on the Centre over the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill after it failed in the Lok Sabha.
Speaking on Sunday, Shivakumar said the Opposition was not consulted on a move that could reshape constituencies.
“This is democracy; this is not a Hitler-style rule. They cannot bring it in the middle of elections and try to alter the entire constituencies,” he said.
He made it clear that while the Congress supports women’s reservation, it objects to how the bill was brought.
According to him, there should have been discussions with all parties before introducing a constitutional amendment linked to delimitation and seat expansion.
“They have to take everyone into confidence, but they have not done that. That is why the opposition parties have done a very good job. So, it is a victory of the INDIA alliance,” he said.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill proposed 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures from 2029.
It also aimed to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 after a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census, along with a rise in seats in state assemblies. In the Lok Sabha, 298 MPs voted in favour and 230 against.
The bill needed 352 votes for a two-thirds majority but fell short. Shivakumar said the issue goes beyond reservation and touches on representation. He raised concerns over how delimitation could affect southern states.
“Without consulting us, they are trying to redraw constituencies, giving more weight to North India and reducing representation in South India. No one can tolerate this,” he said.
Responding to BJP’s charge that Congress is anti-women, he said, “This is not anyone’s personal property—women are the nation’s asset. We had passed this in the Rajya Sabha and Congress has already given 50 per cent reservation to women in local bodies. Even today, we support it.”
Senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, along with M. K. Stalin, A. Revanth Reddy and Siddaramaiah, have backed this stand and called the defeat a win for democracy.