Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday claimed that the defeat of the women’s Bill in the Lok Sabha signalled “the beginning of the end” of the BJP-led government at the Centre, alleging that the legislation was rather aimed at the fragmentation of the country for political gains.

Addressing a series of election rallies beginning from Panchla in Uluberia of Howrah district, Mamata reiterated that the Bill was a "ploy to divide the country”.

“They tried for delimitation, but we have foiled their attempt,” she said, alleging that the proposed constitutional amendment was not intended to ensure representation for women but to alter the electoral landscape.

“The bill was never meant for the empowerment of women. In the name of the Women’s Reservation Bill, they wanted to divide the country. We have resisted the Bill and defeated the BJP’s ploy. Their fall began yesterday (on Friday),” the chief minister said.

Mamata alleged that the BJP, apprehending electoral setbacks, had devised a strategy to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats dramatically. “They made a plan to create around 850 smaller seats to win through the back door. We resisted it and ensured our MPs were present during the debate,” she said.

Positioning herself as a long-standing advocate of women’s reservation, the Trinamool Congress chairperson highlighted her party’s record in ensuring representation at various levels of governance.

Speaking at a public meeting in Baruipur, she said: “We have always fought for the reservation of women. We don’t need a bill to give women just for seats. We already have 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayats and municipalities. In the Lok Sabha, we have 37 per cent women's representation, and in the Rajya Sabha, it is 46 per cent. The Prime Minister should take lessons from us. They don’t have the right to insult women. Since 1998, I have been fighting for the Women’s Reservation Bill.”

At another rally in Bhangar in South 24-Parganas, held in support of party candidate Saokat Molla, Mamata clarified that her party was not opposed to women’s reservation per se, but to its linkage with delimitation.

“It was actually a delimitation bill which the BJP tried to incorporate within the so-called women’s Bill. We are definitely in favour of women, but not of divisions within the country. We are not in favour of splitting Bengal into pieces,” she said.

Mamata added: “We would have no objection if the women’s Bill was not tied to delimitation. Why was it included? It could have been introduced separately.”

The chief minister claimed that delimitation would be followed by contentious measures like the NRC.

“After cutting parliamentary constituencies into pieces, they planned to conduct the NRC and set up detention centres. We will protest against such moves,” she said.

The BJP, however, dismissed her allegations and accused the Trinamool Congress and its allies of opposing a pro-women initiative.

The leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, said: “This is an anti-women alliance. The true nature of Trinamool has been revealed. The mothers and sisters of Bengal will teach it the lesson it deserves in the ensuing Assembly poll.”

Bengal BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said: “It doesn’t matter. No force will be able to bring back Trinamool. When did Mamata stand for women?”