Published Apr 15, 2026 | 6:52 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 15, 2026 | 6:53 PM
All-party meeting of the INDIA alliance held on Wednesday to discuss the delimitation Bill. (X)
Synopsis: Opposition leaders across parties have criticised the proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to expand the Lok Sabha, saying the Centre is trying to push delimitation without consensus under the guise of women’s reservation. They backed immediate implementation of 33 percent reservation for women but called for consultation before any increase in seats.
Several Opposition leaders across parties have criticised the proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha by nearly 50 percent. They accused the BJP-led NDA government of trying to push through a delimitation exercise without consensus, under the guise of women’s reservation.
The bill is expected to be taken up during the special parliamentary session set to be convened between 16 and 18 April.
Kerala and Karnataka Chief Ministers Pinarayi Vijayan and Siddaramaiah, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav all expressed support for 33 per cent women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures, and demanded its immediate implementation.
At the same time, they called for a consensual approach before any move to increase the size of the Lok Sabha.
“To rush through the delimitation amendment in the garb of implementing women’s reservation is nothing but a ploy to mask the real objectives behind this entire exercise,” Vijayan said in a post on X on Wednesday, 15 April.
“The fact that it is being taken up when the election process to four State assemblies and one Union Territory is yet to be completed has raised genuine suspicions about the political considerations behind it.”
In a post on X, Vijay said the passage of the bill would “impose a ‘punishment’ on a state that has adhered to the Union Government’s announcement for generations, while offering a ‘reward’ to states that have not followed it.”
‘नारी शक्ति वंदन अधिनियम’ की नैतिक ढाल लेकर पूर्व में पारित महिला आरक्षण बिल को लागू किए बिना उसमें संशोधन तथा परिसीमन के बहाने संविधान और संघीय ढांचे को कमजोर करने के उद्देश्य से आहुत “विशेष संसद सत्र” से पहले INDIA गठबंधन की सर्वदलीय बैठक में शामिल हुआ।
हम महिला आरक्षण के… pic.twitter.com/v6ynsEdPdx
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) April 15, 2026
Also Read: The 131st Amendment Bill is not delimitation. It is South India’s disenfranchisement
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the bill was a “cunning ploy” by the BJP, saying the party’s haste in pushing it suggested it wanted to avoid the long-delayed decennial census, set to be held in 2027.
“We are in favour of women’s reservation, but against that BJP cunning ploy, which is being carried out under a conspiracy. The BJP and its allies are sitting tight-lipped about the women of the country’s largest population segment, meaning the ‘backward classes’,” Yadav said.
“The haste they’re showing in the name of this amendment is driven by the BJP’s intent to avoid a census, because if a census happens, they’ll have to provide caste-wise data and caste-wise reservations as well.”
Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said the bill’s intent was to “weaken the Constitution and federal structure by amending the previously passed Women’s Reservation Bill without implementing it, under the pretext of delimitation.”
“We support women’s reservation. Half the population—women—should be given not 33 percent but 50 percent reservation. Within this, there should be separate reservation for women from SC/ST and OBC communities, meaning seats for women of reserved categories should also be mandatorily reserved,” he added.
Siddaramaiah and Pinarayi Vijayan also demanded the immediate implementation of women’s reservation within the existing framework.
“We wholeheartedly support the Women’s Reservation Bill – it is a long-overdue reform that must be implemented immediately within the existing framework, without being made contingent on delimitation,” Siddaramaiah said in a post on X.
You are right in highlighting the larger implications of the proposed delimitation approach and the concerns it raises for southern states.
We wholeheartedly support the Women’s Reservation Bill – it is a long-overdue reform that must be implemented immediately within the… https://t.co/1xT2bCz5Vu
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 15, 2026
“Any exercise that reshapes political representation must be undertaken with utmost care. The Union Government must engage all states in a transparent and consultative process, and ensure that fairness, federal balance, and consensus guide this critical decision.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
