Parliament LIVE | No two-thirds majority: Women's Quota Amendment Bill fails in LS

Amit Shah said that if the Opposition’s objection to the Bills was only about the absence of a provision for a uniform 50 per cent increase in seats, he was ready to incorporate it, even suggesting that the House be adjourned for an hour to bring a fresh amendment.

He said he was prepared to act on suggestions made by Opposition leader K C Venugopal, who had demanded that the 50 per cent hike be included in the Bill. Shah added that he already had the amendment ready in his office and could present it within an hour.

However, he rejected the Opposition’s demand for delimitation based on the 2026 Census, saying he would not “fall for the trap.”

He also said that even if the BJP were to give a written assurance on appointing a woman Prime Minister, the Opposition would not trust it, citing their experience over the past 12 years.

Amit Shah said that since the introduction of the Bill, the Opposition had been spreading misinformation, including claims that the constitutional amendment was being brought to delay the caste census. He clarified that the first phase of the caste census had already begun.

He rejected allegations that southern states would suffer injustice, saying that neither the South nor smaller states and Union Territories would be adversely affected. Shah also cautioned against attempts to create a north–south divide, asserting that such narratives would not succeed.

Responding sharply to criticism, he said that even if opponents continued with such claims, they would never come to power. He further provided figures to support his argument, stating that the five southern states currently hold 129 seats out of 543 (23.76 per cent). He said that even with a proposed 50 per cent increase, their representation would rise to 195 seats out of 850 (23.87 per cent), ensuring no reduction in their share.

Amit Shah said that if women’s reservation has to be implemented in time for the 2026 Lok Sabha elections, it cannot wait for the 2027 Census results, as delimitation would be a time-consuming process. He said the mechanism proposed in the current Bills was the only workable way to meet the timeline.

Addressing concerns over the Census delay, Shah said it was originally due in 2021 but could not be conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the country required time to recover after the pandemic, and in 2024 some parties demanded a caste census. After consultations, the Centre decided in 2025 to include caste enumeration in the ongoing Census.

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Addressing concerns over timing, Amit Shah said the framework linking women’s reservation to delimitation based on a post-2026 Census was not new and had its roots in a system introduced under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1971. He also pointed out that 127 constituencies currently have more than 20 lakh voters, calling it a violation of electoral parity, and urged members to support delimitation to ensure fair representation.

Amit Shah said that 130 MPs, including 56 women, participated in the discussion, asserting that no one had openly opposed women’s reservation. However, he alleged that members of the INDIA bloc had effectively opposed it by attaching conditions, arguing that their objection was not to the implementation plan but to the concept itself.

He said the government’s first objective was to ensure a time-bound rollout of women’s reservation in time for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, while the second was to uphold the principle of “one vote, one value.”

Defending delimitation, Shah said it is a constitutional requirement and essential for increasing seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, adding that opposing it would mean opposing greater representation for these groups.

Defending the delimitation exercise, Amit Shah stated that it is aimed at ensuring equal representation as envisioned in the Constitution.

He asserted that opposing delimitation effectively amounts to opposing an increase in representation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, as any such exercise would also lead to a rise in reserved seats.