Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP moves bill after setback to Narendra Modi govt’s amendment proposal
April 18, 2026: A day after the Centre’s Constitution amendment bill on women’s reservation failed to secure the required majority in Parliament, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam introduced a private member’s bill proposing immediate implementation of 33% reservation for women. The bill, moved by DMK MP Wilson, seeks to delink the quota from any increase in seats, delimitation exercise, or census requirement, and instead apply it from the next election on the existing 543-seat Lok Sabha.
The proposal stands in contrast to the government’s approach under the Nari Shakti Vandan framework, which ties implementation to a future census and delimitation. The DMK’s version also seeks to make the reservation permanent, rather than limiting it to a fixed duration. However, with both Houses adjourned indefinitely, the bill could not be taken up for discussion.
The move has intensified the political standoff, with Opposition parties arguing that women’s reservation can be implemented without waiting for constituency redrawing based on 2011 Census data. Leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have indicated support for the original 2023 bill if brought back without such conditions. The government, led by Narendra Modi, has maintained that expanding the House and aligning reservation with delimitation would ensure balanced representation while accommodating future political changes.