On Saturday, 8 August 2026, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi exchanged sharp remarks on X over the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill. Gandhi questioned why the government was tying the law to a fresh delimitation exercise, while Rijiju urged unconditional support.
Key Developments
- Gandhi posted a video urging the nation to harness the "energy" of women and demanded immediate implementation of the 2023 law.
- Rijiju described Gandhi’s video as a "positive message" and asked the Congress to back the bill without conditions.
- Rijiju explained that the law’s effect depends on the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 and a subsequent delimitation based on the 2026 Census.
- The proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 was defeated in the Lok Sabha, delaying the process.
- Rijiju warned that without an early delimitation, implementation may be pushed to the 2034 General Election, or at best the 2029 General Election if the process is accelerated.
Important Facts
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam mandates a 33% reservation for women in both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. However, the law specifies that the reservation will take effect only after a delimitation exercise using the most recent census data.
The current NDA government has been trying to pass a delimitation package. After failing to secure the required two‑thirds maj