Congress alleges ‘backdoor delimitation push’ behind women’s reservation move

The Congress on Monday accused the BJP-led government under Narendra Modi of attempting to use the women’s reservation law as a “cover” to push through delimitation while sidestepping the demand for a caste census, alleging that the move was being carried out in a hurried and “undemocratic” manner.

Addressing a press conference, party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “Don’t try to hide behind the Women’s Reservation,” asserting that the issue had already been settled when Parliament unanimously passed the legislation in September 2023. She claimed the government’s “real intention” was now to move ahead with delimitation while avoiding a caste-based census.

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‎Shrinate pointed out that the law had linked implementation of women’s reservation to the completion of a fresh census and subsequent delimitation exercise, a provision the opposition had objected to at the time. She noted that Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, had argued for immediate rollout of the quota without such preconditions so that women could benefit from it as early as the 2024 general elections.

Questioning the government’s timing, Shrinate asked, “What has changed in the last thirty months? Why this change of heart?” She alleged that the Centre was prioritising delimitation and attempting to “escape” the caste census debate, recalling that the Prime Minister had earlier criticised those advocating caste enumeration.

Citing a recent article by Sonia Gandhi, Shrinate said the Congress leader had “exposed the government’s true intention,” arguing that while women’s reservation enjoyed broad consensus, delimitation remained a contentious issue requiring wider consultation.
Providing historical context, she said the foundation for women’s political representation was laid during the tenure of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which enabled large-scale participation of women in local governance. Today, she noted, nearly 15 lakh women representatives serve in urban and rural local bodies, accounting for about 40 percent of the total.

‎The Congress also raised concerns over the timing of the proposed special parliamentary session, noting that it coincided with active election campaigns in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Shrinate questioned whether MPs from these states would be able to effectively balance legislative duties and campaign responsibilities.
‎She further pointed to opposition demands for an all-party meeting after April 29 to discuss delimitation, asking why the issue was not taken up earlier when Parliament was already in session or scheduled after ongoing elections.

Criticising the proposed reliance on 2011 Census data, Shrinate argued that demographic realities had changed significantly. “How will the government determine SC and ST seats based on outdated figures?” she asked, adding that with a new digital census expected by 2027, there was no justification for rushing the process.

‎The Congress maintained that delimitation must be “politically equitable and not just arithmetically driven,” warning that any attempt to redraw constituencies without updated data and broader consensus could undermine democratic representation.
‎Shrinate also alleged that the government was seeking to shift political focus ahead of elections. “He wants to create an excuse and blame the opposition on the issue of women’s reservation,” she said, adding that concerns such as unemployment, inflation and foreign policy challenges would otherwise dominate public discourse.