Delimitation not women's bill defeated implement quota immediately on current LS strength Cong

 Congress Says Delimitation, Not Women’s Reservation, Defeated in Lok Sabha

PTI, Apr 19, 2026, New Delhi : The Indian National Congress on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of shedding "crocodile tears" over the issue of reservation for women and demanded that the quota be implemented immediately on the current strength of the Lok Sabha.

The opposition party also asserted that what was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17 was not the women's reservation bill but delimitation.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate pointed out that the women's reservation bill was passed unanimously by Parliament on September 21, 2023, and it is part of the Constitution now.

"The women's reservation bill was not defeated, the delimitation, which you (government) wanted to thrust on the nation, was defeated," she said at a press conference here.

"PM Modi is shedding crocodile tears and hiding behind the women's reservation bill," she said.

Shrinate displayed a cartoon, which showed the PM having a basket with 543 mangoes, but refusing to give women a 33 per cent share and telling them that he can give them their share only if he can increase the number to 850, which the opposition is not letting him do.

On the PM's address to the nation over the rejection of the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, the Congress leader reiterated her party's stand that if he was really sincere, he should immediately provide reservation to women within the current strength of the Lok Sabha of 543.

"You have put a condition on that. Remove that condition. You are the ones creating hurdles in women's reservation, you want to keep men happy and not reduce their seats," she said, hitting out at the government.

Referring to Modi apologising to women, Shrinate said the PM was right as he does owe an apology to the women of the country for what happened to two Manipur women during riots, what happened in Hathras and Unnao, what happened with the women Olympians and how the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case were honoured.

"You were right. Women won't forget their insults. Who else knows it better than you?" she said.

Shrinate said of the 240 MPs, only 31 are women, which is only 12 per cent. Of the 1,654 legislators across the country, there are only 164 women, which is less than 10 per cent.

She pointed out that there is only one woman among the 21 chief ministers of the BJP.

Shrinate said five BJP lawmakers are facing rape charges.

She also pointed out that the Congress had originally introduced women's reservation in 1989 under late Rajiv Gandhi and it was opposed by BJP veterans like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L. K. Advani, Jaswant Singh and Ram Jethmalani.

On delimitation, the Congress spokesperson questioned the PM's claims of a 50 per cent proportionate increase in Lok Sabha seats, pointing out that it was nowhere mentioned in the draft bill.

She said that even after the 50 per cent proportionate increase, the overall numbers of the southern states will come down from the existing proportion.

She also took a dig at the BJP over its protests on the issue of the women's reservation bill, saying it is good that the ruling party's leaders are going door to door. They will be asked by women who is responsible for their plight under the BJP rule.

In a major setback to the government, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lower House on Friday.

While 298 members voted in support of the Bill, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.

The Bill proposed to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.

Seats were also to be increased in assemblies of states and Union territories to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.