The Congress on Thursday alleged that the government’s bills, presented under the guise of implementing the women’s reservation law, carry a “mischievous” intent and should be entirely rejected in their current form. Congress general secretary for communications, Jairam Ramesh, said that although the three bills are being introduced in the Lok Sabha as measures for women’s reservation, their core focus is actually on delimitation. He warned that concerns have been raised nationwide about proposals that could favor more populous states where the BJP currently holds strength, potentially reducing the representation of several other states in the Lok Sabha.

Ramesh also pointed to the delimitation exercises carried out in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir as examples of what he described as a calculated approach by the government. He asserted that the bills are misleading in intent, problematic in content, and could have significant negative consequences, urging their complete rejection.

He reiterated the Opposition’s stance, first expressed in 2023, that one-third of the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats should be reserved for women, including quotas for SC, ST, and OBC women. According to him, this approach would ensure fair power-sharing and align with constitutional principles.

His remarks came as the government prepared to introduce three bills in the Lok Sabha: the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. These aim to implement the women’s reservation law by 2029 and expand the Lok Sabha’s strength to a maximum of 850 seats following delimitation based on the 2011 Census. The proposals also include increasing seats in state and Union Territory assemblies and introducing a rotational system for reserved constituencies.

Opposition parties have decided to oppose the delimitation provisions while maintaining support for women’s reservation. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the manner in which the bills are being introduced, calling it politically motivated. Leaders from INDIA bloc parties and the Aam Aadmi Party met to coordinate their strategy during the special three-day parliamentary session.

Ramesh further stated that the Opposition would make every effort to defeat the Constitution Amendment Bill, warning of a major political confrontation. The bills require a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha to pass, where the ruling NDA holds 292 seats and the Opposition has 233.