Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated on Saturday that the Modi government should implement the women’s reservation in legislative bodies, specifically in the current Lok Sabha, which comprises 543 seats. This call follows the enactment of the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act. She expressed that the BJP cannot be trusted with significant changes to Parliament, especially considering what she labeled as politically motivated delimitation conducted by the Modi administration in Assam and Jammu & Kashmir.
Vadra offered assurance of opposition support for advancing the quota within the existing Lok Sabha and suggested that the government could convene a parliamentary session if minor amendments to the law are necessary. The opposition is preparing to address a letter to Prime Minister Modi, urging the immediate implementation of the 2023 Act.
During a press briefing, Vadra highlighted concerns about the government’s potential control over the delimitation commission, warning, “They will place three members in the commission. Like with other commissions, they will capture it. How did they manage in J&K and Assam? They divided constituencies of opposition politicians while safeguarding their own in Assam.” She criticized the peculiar boundaries drawn in Jammu & Kashmir, questioning the trustworthiness of the government’s intentions.
The Wayanad MP remarked that the failure of the Constitution amendment bill signifies a triumph for the nation, the Constitution, democracy, and opposition solidarity. “We saw the expressions of senior BJP leaders in Parliament. It was evident from their faces that it was a shock for them, as they faced defeat for the first time in 12 years. We will continue to fight harder and stand united, and we hope to achieve much more than before,” she asserted.
Vadra also noted that the proposal to expand the Lok Sabha to 850 seats suggests an attempt by men to prevent women’s quota seats from being allocated, asserting, “We are living in a patriarchy.”
