As with the Women's Bill, so also with the proposed Lok Pal legislation, the exercise is essentially one of grand posturing by all parties, says Neerja Chowdhury.
Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav had the entire Lok Sabha in splits on Thursday as he pleaded his case against the Women's Reservation Bill passed by the Rajya Sabha. "Congress members are telling me, 'please save us as we are being made to sign on our death certificates by supporting this legislation'," he said while speaking briefly on the Bill. In a speech full of sarcasm, he even dubbed the Bill as an onion that will bring tears to the eyes of the members.
The BJP and the Opposition have engaged in a war of words over the implementation of the women's reservation bill, which aims to reserve seats for women in legislatures. The bill was defeated in the Lower House, leading to accusations and counter-accusations between the parties.
The government has released a set of FAQs to address concerns and clarify the details surrounding the Women's Reservation Bill, which aims to provide 33 per cent quota for women in legislatures.
The bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the TMC will support the women's quota bill but opposes the delimitation bill introduced by the Modi government in the Lok Sabha. She also criticised the central government over central agency raids on TMC candidates.
BJP president Nitin Nabin has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and opposition parties like the Congress for the setback in implementing women's reservation in legislatures.
NDA leaders have defended proposed amendments to the Women's Reservation Act and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, arguing women have waited long enough for reservation, while opposition parties allege the process could undermine India's federal and democratic structure, particularly impacting southern states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation tonight at 8.30 PM, a day after a bill to implement women's reservation in legislatures was defeated in the Lok Sabha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to Lok Sabha members to vote for the women's reservation bill, emphasising the need to empower women and rectify decades of political inaction.
The ruling NDA coalition in India faces a significant challenge in passing the women's reservation bill in Parliament due to insufficient numbers. The bill requires a two-thirds majority in both houses, and the NDA needs to secure additional support or abstentions from other parties to achieve this.
A Constitution Amendment Bill aimed at implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures and increasing Lok Sabha seats was defeated in Parliament, marking a setback for the government's efforts to empower women in politics.
BJP sources said the government would introduce a fresh Bill on the issue and has reached out to parties that opposed the earlier legislation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused opposition parties of obstructing the passage of the women's reservation bill in Parliament, alleging they have crushed the dreams of women and prioritised selfish politics over national progress.
The Lok Sabha is set to expand to 815 seats, with 272 seats reserved for women, according to Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. The move aims to implement the women's quota without disadvantaging men or any state. The proposed legislations also include provisions for reservation for women from SC and ST categories within the women's quota.
A parliamentary standing committee has cleared the bill seeking amendment in the Constitution for women's reservation in the Lok Sabha.
The DMK has been charting an independent course from the Congress-led Opposition bloc on contentious issues during the Monsoon Session, including not joining a walkout over the anti-paper leak bill and participating in a debate on the National Honour Bill, signalling growing fault lines within the Opposition.
'The BJP has all the instruments with them and they do have a sense of purpose, so I don't think there will be a challenge.'
Several opposition parties on Wednesday decided to jointly oppose the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, even as they reiterated support for women's reservation, with Mallikarjun Kharge alleging the move is politically motivated.
The Indian government and opposition are preparing for a contentious Monsoon Session of Parliament, with key issues including the Constitution Amendment Bill on delimitation and women's reservation, the alleged NEET paper leak, and a row over Ram temple donations set to spark heated debates.
According to a bulletin issued on Wednesday, 'The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026', 'The Delimitation Bill, 2026' and 'The Union Territories Laws (Amendment Bill), 2026' will be introduced and debated for passage in the Lower House.
Rahul Gandhi accuses the government of using the women's reservation bill as a smokescreen to manipulate India's electoral map and diminish representation for certain states.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misleading the nation regarding the women's quota bill and plotting to push through the delimitation exercise by using women as a shield.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law as a front for the Delimitation Bill, which she claims will divide the country. She asserted that her party, the TMC, will fight this move at every step.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said the government was open to supporting an amended or an altogether new bill if unanimity was not possible on the legislation in its present form.
The move would help the PM Modi shape a women-centric narrative.
With the three-day special sitting of Parliament on the constitution amendment bill related to the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls set to begin on Thursday, a meeting of opposition parties is slated to be held on Wednesday at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Opposition members in the Lok Sabha have questioned the government's decision to move a bill to amend the 2023 women's quota law before bringing the principal Act into force.
The provisions in the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill make it clear that the women's reservation will come into effect only after the delimitation exercise or the redrawing of constituencies taking into account the data of the census conducted once the bill becomes a law.
The Congress party has accused the government of using women's reservation as a pretext to push through delimitation, arguing that the women's quota law should be implemented immediately based on the current Lok Sabha strength.
The BJP and opposition parties are engaged in a political battle over the implementation of the Women's Reservation Act, with the BJP defending it as historic and the opposition accusing the government of delaying its notification and using it to push an unconstitutional delimitation exercise.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticises the Congress and its allies for the defeat of the Constitution amendment bill aimed at implementing 33 per cent women's quota in legislative bodies before the 2029 Parliamentary polls.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of being 'anti-women' and obstructing the passage of the women's reservation bill in Lok Sabha. He criticised the TMC's opposition to the bill and defended the BJP's commitment to increasing women's representation in politics.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of betraying women by obstructing the passage of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which aimed to reserve 33 per cent of seats in Parliament and state assemblies for women. Modi asserted that women in West Bengal would punish the TMC in the upcoming assembly elections.
The Congress party has issued a whip to its MPs in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, mandating their presence from August 10-12 for discussions on "very important" issues. This directive comes amidst reports of potential debates on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, and a Constitution Amendment Bill concerning delimitation, though the government's official business list did not explicitly mention these.
Mumbai police have registered a case against the organisers of a BJP rally after a woman's outburst over the resulting traffic jam went viral. The rally, held to celebrate the women's reservation bill, allegedly violated norms, leading to the police action.
The DMK has announced it will meticulously examine the proposed delimitation Bill when it is introduced in Parliament, making a decision based on its merits to safeguard Tamil Nadu's interests. The party's stance will be independent, without consultation with the Congress party, despite their former alliance.
The Lok Sabha passed two Bills, including one to rename Kerala as Keralam, without debate as Opposition members continued their protests, demanding Union Home Minister Amit Shah's presence to address police excesses against student protesters and alleged Ram temple fund irregularities.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the BJP's "real and ultimate target" in seeking a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha is to amend the Constitution to end reservation, rather than genuinely implement women's reservation.
Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has criticised Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's "smash the patriarchy" remark and his defence of actor Kriti Sanon's outfit in a Raksha Bandhan advertisement, sparking a wider debate on women's choices and cultural attire.
