Opposition parties on Friday, 28 August sharply criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government after Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act is under active consideration, with several leaders dismissing the move as political theatre timed ahead of upcoming state elections.

What the Opposition Said

Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Arvind Sawant accused the BJP of deliberate deception. 'When was the Women's Reservation Bill passed? It was passed in 2023. Today, Gen Z has stood up to protest because of such lies. Now women have also understood the truth...The BJP stands on lies,' he said. Sawant argued that the government could implement the reservation immediately on the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats without waiting for delimitation, adding that even at current strength 'all members don't get enough time to speak.'

'This drama is being done just before the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh,' Sawant remarked, framing the announcement as electoral positioning rather than genuine legislative intent.

Purnia MP Pappu Yadav went further, calling the government's attitude towards women and the poor 'distorted.' 'They simply do not want poor, backward and middle-class women to advance in political life. They do not believe in Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution...and are not bothered about the Opposition's consent. They are just restless about the 2029 Lok Sabha polls,' he said.

The Delimitation Condition at the Centre of the Row

Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Annie Raja identified what she called the structural barrier embedded in the legislation. 'The Bill on women's reservation was already passed in 2023. So, it is now a law, but the issue is its implementation,' she said. 'Women are now being fooled by adding two conditions to the Bill: delimitation and Census. It has been made in a way that till the process of delimitation and Census is completed, the Women's Reservation Bill cannot be implemented.'

Congress leader from Odisha, Arabinda Das, echoed this concern, alleging that the government is attempting to use a fresh session to advance delimitation goals it could not achieve earlier. 'What they could not achieve in the last session, they are trying to do by calling this session. They are always trying to bulldoze and sacrifice constitutional norms,' he said.

Congress Writes to PM Modi

The political flashpoint follows a letter by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which Kharge sought clarity on whether the government planned to convene a special session of Parliament to pass a proposed delimitation Bill. Kharge said he was reiterating the demand after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju reportedly indicated in a television interview that such a special session could be convened.

Opposition's Stated Position

Despite the sharp rhetoric, opposition leaders made clear they are willing to support implementation of the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 — the formal name of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act — at the existing Lok Sabha strength of 543 seats, provided the delimitation condition is dropped. The Act, passed with cross-party support in 2023, reserves 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, but its activation is tied to the completion of the next delimitation exercise and Census.

With Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on the horizon and the 2029 general election cycle approaching, the debate over the Act's implementation is set to intensify in the weeks ahead.