Delimitation Debate Overshadows Women’s Reservation: Sonia Gandhi Raises Core Concern
Congress leader flags constitutional concerns, questions Centre’s urgency over special Parliament session
New Delhi, Apr 13 : Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday asserted that the core concern surrounding the Centre’s proposed legislative agenda is delimitation, not women’s reservation, warning that the reported plan could be “extremely dangerous” and an “assault on the Constitution.”
In an article published in The Hindu, Gandhi argued that any exercise to redraw parliamentary constituencies must ensure political fairness, not merely numerical balance. She stressed that increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha should not disadvantage states that have successfully implemented population control measures.
Targeting Narendra Modi, she alleged that the government’s real intent is to delay and derail the proposed caste census while pushing through key bills during a politically sensitive period, coinciding with elections in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Gandhi pointed out that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, passed unanimously in 2023, already mandates one-third reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies, linked to the next Census and delimitation process. She questioned the government’s shift to implement the provision by 2029, asking why such urgency now after earlier delays.
She also criticised the Centre for postponing the national Census, originally due in 2021, claiming that the delay has impacted welfare distribution under schemes like the National Food Security Act. According to Gandhi, the government’s justification for fast-tracking delimitation lacks credibility, especially when officials suggest that digital Census data will be ready by 2027.
Raising concerns over transparency, Gandhi noted that no formal proposal has been shared with Members of Parliament ahead of the special session scheduled from April 16. She reiterated the Opposition’s demand for an all-party meeting after the ongoing election phases conclude, calling the government’s approach “anti-democratic” and driven by political calculations.
Emphasising social equity, she added that any future delimitation must safeguard smaller and progressive states from losing representation. Gandhi concluded that while women’s reservation is settled policy, the real debate lies in the implications of delimitation, which she described as a serious constitutional challenge.
