New Delhi (India) April 16:The extended Budget session of Parliament began today on proposals of Constitutional amendments necessary to operationalise Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam- which involves proposed reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha elections starting in 2029, and redrawing of constituency boundaries.
The opposition had been up in arms against the proposals that include re-drawing of constituencies and raising the number of Lok Sabha seats from the current 543 to 850 at maximum.

Opposition Slams Centre's Delimitation Bill

The move has caused political heat with political parties across the spectrum largely backing the proposed reservation for women while opposing its accompanying delimitation proposal. Opposition parties claimed that a population-driven allocation of seats might result in disproportionate advantage being gained by the high-population growth states, hence will bring out of balance the federal structures, giving less weightage to states that have maintained a check over population.

Congress leaders also alleged that the move is intended to gerrymander the elections and that overlooking a caste census data will diminish the representation of backward classes, i.e. OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis, while calling for Delimitation on new comprehensive data, including a caste census.

Tamil Nadu CM Burns Delimitation Bill Copy

Intensifying his stand against the Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin symbolically burned a copy of the delimitation bill and hoisted a black flag, protesting the delimitation bill. The Chief Minister urged the people of Tamil Nadu to hoist a black flag on their rooftops to signify their disapproval, calling the proposed legislation a 'black law' that would weaken political representation for the state. 

Giriraj Singh Confident on Bill Consensus

Union Minister Giriraj Singh expressed hope Thursday that the Women's Reservation Bill will pass Parliament with a comfortable consensus, claiming that every political party would eventually have to endorse the bill, even with the opposition raising objections regarding delimitation and other associated matters.
Singh said, "The Women's Reservation Bill is being introduced. The opposition says they have objections to delimitation and won't support it.”
He added, "There will be no discrimination anywhere. The bill will come to the House, and the subject will be presented. There's no need to doubt it before it's even presented. I'm fully confident that just as it was passed before, it will be passed now. No discrimination against any state, equality for all.”