A three-day special session of Parliament began on Thursday with the government preparing to move key amendments linked to the implementation of the women’s reservation law, even as a parallel political battle over delimitation gathers pace across states and within the Opposition ranks.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi framed the sitting as a decisive moment for women’s empowerment, Opposition parties signalled a united pushback against the proposed delimitation exercise, warning it could alter the balance of representation between states.
Live updates: Women’s reservation bill and delimitation row
"Women's reservation bill is their right," Modi says in Lok Sabha
"I would also like to tell all the members of this House that we should not live in any illusion or arrogance. I am using the word 'we' I am not speaking in terms of 'I’ and ‘you'. We should not live under the illusion that we are giving something to the women power of the country. It is their right and we have stopped it for several decades and today, this is our opportunity to be free from sin..."
PM Modi says delimitation will not discriminate against anyone
"I want to say responsibly today that this will not discriminate against anyone. This decision process will not be unfair to anyone. The government that was in power earlier, the delimitation of the seats, and the ratio that has been in place since then, will remain unchanged, and the ratio will remain the same...," Modi said.
He further added, "If the word 'guarantee' is required, I use the word 'guarantee'. If you talk about a promise, I use the word 'promise'. If there is a better word in Tamil, I am also ready to use that. If the intent is clear, then we do not need to play games with words."
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/2044725635881566635
PM Modi continues: "'Hamari neeyat ki khot, desh ki naari shakti kabhi maaf nahi karegi'... I have come to you today to appeal to you not to weigh this on the scales of politics... Today the entire country, especially the women power, will definitely look at our decisions but more than the decisions, they will look at our intentions."
PM Modi continues: "'Hamari neeyat ki khot, desh ki naari shakti kabhi maaf nahi karegi'... I have come to you today to appeal to you not to weigh this on the scales of politics... Today the entire country, especially the women power, will definitely look at our decisions but more than the decisions, they will look at our intentions."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned the Opposition, saying anyone who opposes the women’s reservation and delimitation bill will have to pay the price for a long time.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/2044720075262046343
No need to give women's quota bill a political spin: PM Modi
Speaking in Lok Sabha on women's reservation and delimitation, PM Modi said that the Bill should not be given a political spin.
"This will be in favour of the country's democracy, it will be in favor of the country's collective decision-making, and we will all be entitled to the credit. Neither the Treasury Department nor Modi will be its rightful owner, nor will everyone sitting here be its rightful owner. I would like those who smell politics in this to examine their own perspectives over the past 30 years and see if there is any benefit in this. I believe there's no need to give it a political spin..."
"Women's quota bill should not be evaluated from a political lens. Those who share half the responsibility should have the right to be here," says PM Modi.
Urging the Opposition to support the Women's Reservation Bill, PM Modi it "is an opportunity to move beyond old limitations and support women’s empowerment in the nation’s interest. We should move forward with this bill with consensus; when there is unanimity, the treasury benches have a special responsibility."
PM Modi says he doesn't want credit for women's reservation Bill
"I don't want credit. After this bill passes, tomorrow I will give a full-page ad with whosoever's photo you want,” he said.
PM Modi says he doesn't want credit for women's reservation Bill
"I don't want credit. After this bill passes, tomorrow I will give a full-page ad with whosoever's photo you want,” he said.
PM Modi warns political opponents on women’s quota, says voters won’t forgive
Lok Sabha: Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned parties viewing women’s reservation through a political lens, saying, “Whoever opposed this right for women, the women of the country have not forgiven them…”
He urged members to rise above politics as debate on the women’s reservation and delimitation Bills continued.
PM Modi calls debate a ‘historic moment’, urges House not to miss opportunity
Lok Sabha: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the ongoing debate on women’s reservation marks a defining moment for the country.
“There are some important moments in the life of a country… these are such moments in the history of India's parliamentary democracy,” he said.
Calling it a nation-building exercise, he added, “We are all fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in such an important process involving half the country's population… We MPs must not let this important opportunity slip away.”
PM Modi said the initiative reflects the evolution of democracy, adding, “We have brought it to a mature stage… Together, we are going to give the country a new direction.”
PM Modi addresses Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is speaking in the House during the special session as debate continues on the women’s reservation amendment and the proposed delimitation framework.
Tejasvi Surya calls Opposition stand ‘propaganda’, defends delimitation
Lok Sabha: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said concerns over delimitation are politically motivated.
“The tears they are shedding are crocodile tears… Delimitation is not a backdoor exercise; we are following what the Constitution mandates,” he said.
Calling the moment historic, he added women are “finally set to get their due” after decades.
Akhilesh Yadav attacks ‘haste’, links move to caste census debate
Lok Sabha: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the party supports women’s reservation but questioned the government’s intent.
“The BJP is trying to turn a woman into a slogan… Why is there such a hurry?” he asked.
He alleged the government is avoiding a caste census, saying, “If a census is conducted… they will have to release caste data and implement reservations.”
Kapil Sibal alleges ‘power play’, questions intent behind amendment
Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said, “This is a constitutional amendment bill, not just a delimitation bill… They want to do delimitation first and then women's reservation.”
He alleged the move is aimed at gaining a political advantage, adding, “They want to mislead people…”
BJP MLA calls move ‘historic’, highlights women’s role
Patna: BJP MLA Maithili Thakur said, “This is a historic step… Women will raise issues in the House and work for every section of society.
Annamalai counters DMK, says Tamil Nadu will benefit
Ramanathapuram: BJP leader K Annamalai said Tamil Nadu stands to gain from both women’s reservation and delimitation.
He also dismissed DMK’s protest call, saying no black flags were seen during his travel.
Hibi Eden flags ‘loss’ for southern states
Delhi: Congress MP Hibi Eden said delimitation based on population could lead to “huge loss” for southern states, citing existing disparities in fund allocation.
Priyanka Chaturvedi: ‘Everyone supports quota, fight is about linkage’
Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “Everyone wants reservation… but why link it to census and delimitation? The way the government is bringing it shows arrogance.”
Southern states’ share becomes key flashpoint
Delhi: Congress MP Vamsi Krishna Gaddam said delimitation could reduce the South’s representation despite higher financial contribution.
“If you do not give us representation, do not use the funds of the South,” he said.
Left parties call move ‘devious’, seek immediate implementation
Delhi: CPI(M) leader MA Baby said the government is pushing delimitation “in the garb of women's reservation.”
CPI(M) MP John Brittas added, “Let them implement women's reservation out of the 543 seats… disconnected from delimitation and census.”
Sisodia backs quota, attacks delimitation approach
Chandigarh: AAP leader Manish Sisodia said, “The Women's Reservation Bill is a good idea… but the way they're tampering with the entire structure of the seats… we are against delimitation; the way it's being done is very wrong.”
TDP backs Bill, says opposing amendment means opposing quota
Delhi: TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu said, “If the opposition is going against this 131st Amendment, then they are directly going against women’s reservation… The PM wants it implemented by 2029.”
Nitin Gadkari calls Bill ‘revolutionary’
Delhi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, “It is a historic bill… a revolutionary step in the history of the country. Women will get equal opportunities in democracy.
BJP defends delimitation, calls Opposition stand ‘confusion’
Delhi: BJP RS MP Manan Kumar Mishra said delimitation is necessary due to population growth and accused the Opposition of “spreading confusion” to obstruct women’s reservation.
Digvijaya Singh questions BJP’s shift
Delhi: Congress MP Digvijaya Singh said, “BJP had opposed women's reservation in Rajya Sabha in 2010… we gave unanimous support two years ago, so why are you changing it now?”
Tripathi warns delay could push quota by five years
Delhi: BJP MP Shashank Mani Tripathi said linking the law only to the 2026 Census could delay implementation by five years, calling it a “danger for women.”
‘Don’t mislead voters, Bill protects rights’: Bansuri Swaraj
Delhi: BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj urged Opposition to support the move, saying, “Delimitation is not BJP's gimmick… the bill does not violate anyone's rights.”
BJP MPs call Bill ‘historic’, accuse Opposition of delay tactics
Delhi: BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said the Opposition is making “excuses” to block 33% reservation.
Ravi Kishan added, “There can't be a bigger step than this… opponents are shouting because now women will enter politics.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) backs quota, flags delimitation concern
Delhi: MP Arvind Sawant said, “We are 100% with the Women's Reservation Bill… but the question is about delimitation.”
A Raja calls move ‘undemocratic’, opposes clubbing of Bills
Delhi: DMK MP A Raja said introducing the Constitution amendment and delimitation Bills together is “a complete mockery” and “undemocratic and illegal.”
‘Don’t link quota with delimitation’: Gaurav Gogoi
Lok Sabha: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, “If you had listened to us in 2023, women’s reservation would have been implemented in 2024… This bill is not for women’s reservation, but for delimitation through the back door.”
Meghwal details seat expansion, assures no state will lose share
Lok Sabha: Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said Lok Sabha strength will rise to 815 seats with a 50% increase, of which 272 will be reserved for women.
“There will be no loss to anyone (states), and they will retain their strength,” he said.
Seat expansion plan outlined; states won’t lose representation
Lok Sabha: Meghwal said the proposal includes a 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats, with one-third reserved for women, and assured that no state will lose its existing representation.
Govt explains delay: Earlier law tied to Census, now being advanced
Lok Sabha: Meghwal said the 2023 women’s reservation law was linked to the post-2026 Census and delimitation, which would have delayed implementation, prompting the current amendments.
Meghwal opens debate, says ‘time has come’ to implement quota
Lok Sabha: Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, “The time has come to implement this historic decision,” as he opened discussion on the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, aimed at ensuring greater participation of women in legislatures.
Rule 66 provision suspended to link Bills procedurally
Lok Sabha: The House adopted a motion to suspend Rule 66 provisions to enable simultaneous consideration of the Delimitation and UT Laws Amendment Bills, which are tied to the Constitution Amendment Bill.
– 251 MPs voted in favour
– 185 MPs voted against
Cultural voices welcome move as ‘historic moment’
Hyderabad: A Padma Shri awardee and Kuchipudi exponent said, “33% reservation for women is going to be a reality… Today, it's going to become a reality.”
Shiv Sena backs Bills, seeks clarity for states
Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora said the party fully supports the amendments, adding concerns of states will be addressed if seat increases are proportional.
BJP defends move, accuses Opposition of politicising issue
Delhi: BJP MP Narhari Amin said Opposition parties are “trying to oppose it by bringing up one or the other political issue.”
Rajya Sabha MP Ujjwal Nikam said, “The initiation of the delimitation process is essential… Women’s power will gain rights from this.”
TMC’s Majeed Memon calls process ‘unethical’
Mumbai: TMC leader Majeed Memon said, “The issue of Delimitation is being opposed… and it is justified… They should have taken all political parties into confidence…”
CPI backs quota, opposes delimitation conditions
Delhi: CPI MP P Sandosh said, “We are for women's reservation but without any conditions… The power vested in the constitution should not be handed to the delimitation commission.”
Opposition reiterates support for quota, opposes linkage
Delhi: Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said, “We stand with the proposal passed in 2023… but through delimitation, they want to… damage the constitutional framework.”
Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan said, “No opposition party has any objection to women's reservation… Why did you bring all 3 bills together?”
Opposition reiterates support for quota, opposes linkage
Delhi: Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said, “We stand with the proposal passed in 2023… but through delimitation, they want to… damage the constitutional framework.”
Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan said, “No opposition party has any objection to women's reservation… Why did you bring all 3 bills together?”
BJP MPs push back, call Bill ‘historic’
Delhi: BJP MP Jagdambika Pal Singh said, “This is historic… the government had decided to implement it before 2029.”
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey urged parties to support the Bill, saying, “We want to give reservations to women… strengthen his hands.”
All three key Bills formally introduced in Lok Sabha
Delhi: The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and Delimitation Bill, 2026 were introduced in the Lok Sabha.
Rijiju, Speaker outline debate timeline
Lok Sabha: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said discussions will be held for 12 hours, with flexibility to extend.
Speaker Om Birla said debate on the three Bills will run for 15–18 hours, with voting scheduled at 4 pm tomorrow.
Twin Bills aimed at taking quota ‘to logical end’: Amit Shah
Lok Sabha: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “The two bills have been brought together to take women's reservation to its logical end…”
Lok Sabha clears introduction of key amendment Bill after division
Delhi: The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced after a division vote.
– 207 MPs voted in favour
– 126 MPs voted against
Opposition members had demanded a division on the motion.
207 Lok Sabha MPs vote for the introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026. While 126 members voted against it. The Opposition members in the Lok Sabha had pressed for a division against the move to introduce the bill. pic.twitter.com/NMKwPrFd0q
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026
BJP women MPs back quota, stress representation
Delhi: BJP MP Rekha Sharma said, “Women's perspective in Parliament is very important.”
BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat said delimitation is due as per earlier provisions, adding, “The delimitation has to happen in 2026… everyone should support them.”
DMK warns of protests, calls move ‘authoritarian’
Vellore: DMK General Secretary Durai Murugan said, “They are trying to bury democracy… If this becomes a serious issue, the people will rise in protest.”
Lok Sabha clears introduction of key amendment Bill after division
Delhi: The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced after a division vote.
– 207 MPs voted in favour
– 126 MPs voted against
Opposition members had demanded a division on the motion.
207 Lok Sabha MPs vote for the introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026. While 126 members voted against it. The Opposition members in the Lok Sabha had pressed for a division against the move to introduce the bill. pic.twitter.com/NMKwPrFd0q
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026
Karandlaje calls it ‘important day’, backs govt move
Delhi: Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje said, “Today is a very important day… Under PM Modi's leadership, work is being done to provide reservations for women.”
On delimitation, she added, “There are different ways to conduct census in different states.”
SP flags ‘flaw in intent’, opposes amendments
Delhi: SP MP Rajeev Rai said, “Bringing amendments shows there is a flaw in the government's intentions… We oppose it regarding delimitation and the census not being conducted.”
Akhilesh Yadav questions intent, calls it ‘secret plan’
Delhi: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the party supports women’s reservation but opposes the manner of its rollout.
“It is not against women's reservation, but against the manner in which it's being brought,” he said, linking the issue to census and caste census debates.
Giriraj Singh confident of consensus, dismisses concerns
Delhi: Union Minister Giriraj Singh said the Women’s Reservation Bill will be passed with support across parties.
“Everyone will come together to pass it… No one will suffer a loss,” he said, rejecting concerns over delimitation.
BJP MLA cites Constitution, counters Telangana CM on delimitation
Hyderabad: BJP MLA Aleti Maheshwar Reddy said delimitation is “constitutional” and mandated under Articles 81 and 82.
He said, “If you consider the new formula… we are going to benefit from 198 seats… equal representation for all regions.”
He also criticised Telangana CM Revanth Reddy’s stand, calling it “unscientific and unconstitutional.”
Congress backs quota, questions ‘urgency’ of delimitation bill
Delhi: Congress MP Mallu Ravi said, “Congress will support women's reservation… When it comes to delimitation, there is no urgency for the bill regarding it to be introduced…”
He noted that the women’s reservation framework had earlier been passed under the UPA government.
LJP(R) backs bill, says ‘half the population must get justice’
Delhi: LJP(R) MP Arun Bharti said, “If half the population does not get justice, society will not be able to move forward on the path of true development.”
He urged the Opposition to present its views in Parliament instead of protesting.
BJP says quota bill finally becoming reality, slams Congress
Hyderabad: Telangana BJP chief N Ramchander Rao said, “Today, the Women's Reservation Bill… is now going to become a reality… It is a welcome step.”
Targeting Congress, he added, “They brought this bill… but did not pass it because they never wanted women's reservation… they are raising the bogey of delimitation…”
He said population growth necessitates more seats, adding delimitation will help expand representation and benefit women leaders.
Sonia Gandhi keeps it brief, reiterates party stand
Delhi: Congress MP Sonia Gandhi said, “My party has made its position clear. I have nothing to add.”
Amit Shah says census process has begun, defends govt stance
Lok Sabha: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the census process is already underway.
“I want to inform the entire country that the census process has already begun… The government has taken a decision to conduct a caste census,” he said.
Responding to Opposition remarks, he added, “Reservation based on religion is unconstitutional.”
BJP backs delimitation logic, links it to governance
Delhi: Rajasthan BJP President Madan Rathore said smaller constituencies would improve governance.
“If the limits of the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha are smaller, monitoring will be done properly… It will help in reaching development schemes to the common citizen,” he said.
Renuka Chowdhury attacks govt, calls bill ‘a show’
Delhi: Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury said, “It’s not about objecting… corruption is blatantly rampant… In the name of women, they are pretending… This is unconstitutional… No discussions were held with the women who are currently in Parliament… Elections are underway in five states today, and this bill is being passed…”
DMK protest escalates, copy of delimitation bill burnt
Chennai: DMK and its allies staged a protest at the party headquarters, wearing black clothes and burning a copy of the proposed Delimitation Bill.
watch | Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its alliance partners stage a protest against the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the proposed Delimitation Bill, at the party's headquarters. Wearing black clothes, leaders also burned a copy of the… pic.twitter.com/JecVQP307O
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026
Congress opposes introduction; Amit Shah responds
Congress MP KC Venugopal opposed the introduction of all three Bills.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Venugopal “cannot speak on the merits” at this stage and added the government will give a “strong reply” during the debate.
Government moves key Bills in Lok Sabha
– Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal proposes introduction of Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026
– Union Home Minister proposes Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
– Meghwal also introduces Delimitation Bill, 2026
JD(U) questions Opposition stand, backs quota bill
Delhi: JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha said, “The Women's Reservation Bill was passed back in 2023 itself, so why are they opposing it now?”
On delimitation, he added, “There's a 50% increase going to happen in every state… they just want to oppose the Bill.”
BJP Mahila Morcha holds padayatra in support of bill
Hyderabad: BJP Mahila Morcha organised a ‘Nari Sakthi Vandan Padayatra’ backing the Women’s Reservation Bill. Telangana BJP chief N Ramchander Rao was present.
BRS flags ‘conspiracy’, opposes linking quota with delimitation
Hyderabad: BRS leader Ravula Sridhar Reddy said the Centre is wrongly linking women’s reservation with delimitation.
“The proposed amendment bill… is full of flaws… This looks like a conspiracy… leading to doubts about the Centre's integrity,” he said.
SP opposes amendment bills, backs women’s reservation
Lok Sabha: Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav said, “We oppose the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026… Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026… and Delimitation Bill, 2026… There is no other party which is a bigger supporter of women's reservation.”
Dhami backs quota push, calls it ‘transformational’
Dehradun: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said the session marks a turning point. “Everyone in the country has been waiting for this moment… A huge transformation is going to happen… Women will not just cast votes but also participate in policy-making.”
Key changes proposed in amendment Bills
– Lok Sabha seats may increase to 850
– Definition of “population” to be decided by Parliament
– Delimitation process to involve a commission based on census data
– Proposal to delink quota implementation from the 2027 Census and instead use 2011 data
Telangana CM seeks joint front against delimitation
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other southern CMs, calling for a “fair, balanced approach” and urging a united stand on the issue.
BJP counters DMK protests
BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan criticised the protests, saying, “Let them reserve the condolences and black shirts for the 4th… what is the use of your black flag?... He (CM MK Stalin) is totally misgoverning the state…”
Black flag protests erupt in Tamil Nadu
– In Ranipet, a Tamil Nadu minister staged a silent protest by hoisting a black flag outside his residence.
– In Karur, DMK leader V Senthil Balaji also hoisted a black flag against the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the proposed delimitation.
Kanimozhi Somu calls it ‘a big black day’
DMK leader Kanimozhi Somu said, “Delimitation is not warranted for right now… It is a big betrayal… they just masked the Women's Reservation Bill.”
Southern states voice concern over representation
DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said delimitation based on population could increase representation from northern states, warning it would be “against the interests of the South Indian states.”
BJP hits back, calls Opposition stand ‘politics’
BJP MP Brij Lal said, “The Opposition is only doing politics… DMK opposes every decision anyway… They are opposing because of the elections.”
Samajwadi Party raises census concern, seeks wider quota
SP MP Dimple Yadav questioned the government’s intent, saying, “When this bill was passed, it was said that they will conduct a census first… Census is a very important point that the government wants to avoid.”
She added that OBC and minority women should also be included in reservations.
On delimitation, she said, “How can you do delimitation from the statistics of 2011?... They are doing this because of the upcoming elections in 2029.”
Opposition only opposing delimitation, not quota: K Suresh
Congress MP K Suresh said, “We are only opposing the delimitation, not women's reservation… Delimitation has not been discussed with stakeholders… This is why there is strong opposition.”
Congress backs quota, flags ‘imbalance’ from delimitation
Congress leader Imran Masood said, “We support women's reservation… They are now bringing delimitation… This will create an imbalance in a federal structure… States that have controlled their population will have to suffer after this.”
He also criticised the government’s record, saying, “You promised employment, but a protest is going on in Noida. You only conduct events…”
Congress, DMK move motions opposing amendments
Congress MP Hibi Eden and DMK Parliamentary Party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi moved motions in the Lok Sabha opposing amendments linked to the women’s reservation law.
Opposition leaders meet in Parliament to chalk out strategy
Leaders from Opposition parties held discussions within Parliament premises, focusing on their approach to the women’s reservation bill and the delimitation proposal.
Government plans three amendment Bills to operationalise quota
The Centre is expected to introduce:
– Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026
– Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
– Delimitation Bill, 2026
The proposals include raising Lok Sabha strength to 850, with a cap of 815 elected members from states and up to 35 from Union Territories.
Rijiju urges Opposition not to ‘spread rumours’ on delimitation
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said a “wrong message is being circulated” and appealed to Opposition parties not to link delimitation with the women’s reservation push.
“We are fully prepared, and a meaningful debate will take place… Granting 33 per cent reservation in Parliament will be historic,” he said.
He added, “There is no need for unnecessary opposition… No one will face any loss due to this.”
PM Modi calls session a ‘historic step’ for women’s empowerment
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country is “all set to take a historic step towards women's empowerment,” adding, “The respect for our mothers and sisters is the respect for the nation.”
Session begins with focus on quota implementation, delimitation debate
The special sitting of the extended Budget Session is centred on amendments to operationalise the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, alongside discussions on the proposed delimitation framework.