Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], November 13 (ANI): Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday addressed the status of the Delimitation Bill, stating that the legislation might get introduced during the upcoming winter session if the ruling NDA government secures the support of a two-thirds majority.
Addressing a press conference in Raipur, Athawale emphasised that if delimitation does not take place now, it will be harder to grant reservation to women in the 2029 elections, adding that the government will bring forward the Women's Reservation Bill alongside delimitation.
The Union Minister further claimed that Rahul Gandhi and other opposition parties deliberately tried to defeat the bill in Parliament, fearing that the BJP and the NDA government would benefit more from the legislation.
"A law can only be passed with a two-thirds majority. When this issue came up earlier, we did not have a two-thirds majority. The Congress party and the opposition felt that the BJP and the NDA would benefit more from it, which is why Rahul Gandhi and the opposition deliberately tried to get this bill defeated. Right now, our numbers have gone up—Mamata Banerjee's people have joined us, Shiv Sena's people have joined us in Maharashtra, and Aam Aadmi Party's people have joined us. The DMK is not in the INDIA alliance with the Congress right now; let us see what their decision is. Based on the data we have seen, there is a chance this bill might come up during the upcoming winter session. If we get a two-thirds majority, the bill will be introduced. If it does not happen now, it will be hard to provide women's reservation in the 2029 elections. That is why, along with delimitation, we are trying to bring this bill in this session, and we will ensure reservation for women. We want to give them a chance; if 273 women enter Parliament, it will spark a great revolution. So, we are continuing our efforts," said Athawale.
Athawale's remarks come amid the ongoing political debate over women's reservation and the proposed delimitation exercise, with the implementation of the 33 per cent quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies linked to a census and a subsequent delimitation exercise.
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP, maintains that delimitation is a constitutional necessity to reflect new census data and facilitate the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha.
However, the opposition INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, has demanded the immediate implementation of 33 per cent women's reservation in the existing 543-member Lok Sabha and opposed linking it to the delimitation exercise. The proposed Delimitation Bill aims to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850. (ANI)
"Might be discussed during winter session:" Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Delimitation Bill
