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    COVER STORY                                                               MAY 01, 2026     |  The Indian Eye                    5

            betrayal, claiming that Opposition                                                                    sure equitable gains.
            parties had delayed women’s reser-                                                                        This divergence has turned a pol-
            vation for decades. “Congress, along                                                                  icy debate into a broader ideological
            with DMK, are doing injustice to                                                                      clash over federalism, representation,
            women,” he said, adding that their                                                                    and governance. The Opposition’s in-
            stance also harmed southern states                                                                    sistence on separating women’s reser-
            by complicating the delimitation pro-                                                                 vation from delimitation reflects con-
            cess.                                                                                                 cerns about constitutional safeguards,
                However, the Opposition has                                                                       while the BJP’s approach seeks to
            mounted an equally forceful counter-                                                                  integrate structural reforms with gen-
            attack, rejecting the BJP’s framing and                                                               der representation.
            arguing that the Bill itself was flawed.                                                                  Beyond   parliamentary  argu-
            Leaders across parties insist they sup-                                                               ments, the political rhetoric has in-
            port women’s reservation in principle                                                                 tensified  sharply.  Modi’s  assertion
            but opposed what they describe as                                                                     that the Opposition’s actions consti-
            the government’s attempt to “club”                                                                    tute a “sin” that will be punished by
            it with delimitation and seat expan-                                                                  voters contrasts with accusations from
            sion—moves they claim could distort                                                                   leaders like Jairam Ramesh, who de-
            federal balance and representation.                                                                   scribed the Prime Minister’s remarks
                Congress leader KC Venugopal                                                                      as “unabashed partisan demagogu-
            accused the Prime Minister of misrep-   West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is confronting the women’s bill issue raised by   ery.” CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar has
            resenting  the  Opposition’s  position                      the BJP (ANI Photo)                       even alleged that the Prime Minister’s
            and abusing his office. In a breach of                                                                address violated the Model Code of
            privilege notice, he described Modi’s   not the sole idea of this bill,” he said,   gued that Opposition parties had   Conduct, claiming it was aimed at in-
            post-defeat address as “unethical and   calling it a “mischievous ploy” by the   historically resisted the Women’s   fluencing voters during ongoing elec-
            a  blatant abuse of power,” alleging   BJP.                         Reservation Bill since the 1990s. He   tions.
            that attributing motives to Opposi-   Similarly, Samajwadi Party chief   described them as “anti-reform forc-  The escalating rhetoric under-
            tion MPs violated parliamentary con-  Akhilesh  Yadav  accused  the  BJP  of   es” that delayed justice to women for   scores how the issue has transcended
            ventions. He stressed that Opposition   misleading the public and avoiding   nearly three decades, while defending   legislative boundaries to become a
            members had “categorically stated   substantive reforms. He claimed the   the current proposal as a balanced ap-  central electoral battleground. With
            that they unanimously supported res-  ruling party was “unwilling to grant   proach that would increase represen-  states like West Bengal and Tamil
            ervation for women,” but opposed   women their rightful reservation”   tation without disadvantaging states.  Nadu in the midst of elections, both
            provisions that “struck at the root of   and was using the issue for political   At the core of the dispute is the   sides are using the Bill’s failure to
            the basic structure of the Constitu-  messaging rather than meaningful   contentious issue of delimitation—re-  shape voter perceptions—particularly
            tion.”                            change. Drawing a broader ideologi-  drawing parliamentary constituencies   among women, who are increasingly
                Congress MP Jairam Ramesh     cal contrast, he alleged that the gov-  based on population changes. Oppo-  seen as a decisive constituency.
            sharpened the critique, questioning   ernment was using institutions for   sition parties fear that linking wom-  Analytically, the episode reveals
            the government’s intent and timing.   “propaganda” while sidestepping de-  en’s reservation to a future delimita-  three  key dynamics. First, there is
            “For the BJP, it was a matter of the   mands such as a caste census.  tion exercise could disproportionately   broad political consensus on the
            BJP’s preservation and remaining      The BJP, however, has countered   benefit  northern  states  with  higher   principle of women’s reservation,
            in power, not women’s reservation,”   these claims by framing the Oppo-  population growth, reducing the po-  but deep disagreement on its imple-
            he said. He also pointed out that the   sition’s objections as obstruction-  litical weight of southern states. BJP   mentation. Second, the linkage with
            earlier  women’s  reservation  frame-  ism rooted in political self-interest.   leaders, on the other hand, argue that   delimitation has introduced a layer of
            work passed in 2023 had not been   Leaders like Andhra Pradesh Chief   expanding the total number of seats   regional and constitutional complex-
            implemented, asking, “What was the   Minister N Chandrababu Naidu ar-  would offset such concerns and en-  ity that has fractured potential unity.
            hurry?” in introducing a new, more                                                                    Third, the failure of the Bill has pro-
            contentious Bill.                                                                                     vided  both  the  BJP and Opposition
                Ramesh further argued that the                                                                    with potent political ammunition, al-
            real issue was delimitation, not gen-                                                                 lowing each to frame the narrative to
            der representation. “The politics of                                                                  its advantage.
            the bulldozer and delimitation stood                                                                      For the BJP, the focus is on por-
            defeated. The issue was about delim-                                                                  traying the Opposition as anti-women
            itation, not women’s reservation,” he                                                                 and obstructionist. For the Opposi-
            said, portraying the Bill’s defeat as a                                                               tion, the emphasis is on questioning
            “victory of democracy” and Opposi-                                                                    the government’s intent and defend-
            tion unity.                                                                                           ing constitutional safeguards. This
                Regional parties have added                                                                       dual narrative ensures that the issue
            their own dimensions to the debate.                                                                   will remain politically charged, with
            TMC leader Jay Prakash Majumdar                                                                       little room for immediate consensus.
            dismissed the Bill as a “tactical step”                                                                   As calls grow for an all-party
            driven by electoral calculations rather                                                               meeting to revisit the legislation, the
            than genuine commitment to wom-                                                                       path forward remains uncertain. What
            en’s  empowerment.  He  pointed  to                                                                   is clear, however, is that the failure of
            West  Bengal  Chief  Minister  Mama-                                                                  the Women’s Reservation Bill has not
            ta Banerjee’s record, noting that the                                                                 ended the debate—it has intensified
            state had already implemented 50 per   Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi lead her party’s response in the Parliament’s three-day Special   it, turning a long-standing policy goal
            cent reservation for women in local                    Session (ANI Photo/Jitender Gupta)             into one of the most contentious po-
            bodies. “Women’s empowerment is                                                                       litical flashpoints in recent times.

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