Congress accuses BJP of using women’s reservation to push delimitation agenda amid political showdown
April 19, 2026: Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate on Sunday accused the BJP-led government of using women’s reservation as a “political shield” to push what she called a divisive agenda. Speaking at the AICC headquarters, she said the ruling party was “rattled” after the Opposition exposed its “conspiracies.” Her remarks came days after a Constitution amendment bill to expand the Lok Sabha and fast-track 33% reservation for women failed to secure the required two-thirds majority.
The criticism follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation, where he blamed Congress and other Opposition parties for blocking the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. He described the bill as a sincere effort to empower women and strengthen representation, accusing the Opposition of denying women their rights. The Prime Minister also termed the failure of the bill as a setback caused by “selfish politics,” warning that parties like Congress, Samajwadi Party, TMC, and DMK would face consequences.
Hitting back, Shrinate called the Prime Minister’s speech a “failed attempt” and alleged that the real intent behind the bill was to implement delimitation under the guise of women’s reservation. She argued that conditions related to census and delimitation have delayed the benefits of the law, demanding their immediate removal to ensure reservation across all 543 seats without delay. She also pointed out that BJP’s representation of women in Parliament remains below the national average, asserting that the Opposition is ready to pass the bill if brought without conditions.