The long-pending legislation to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures may finally see progress, with the Centre aiming for its implementation ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
According to sources, the government has initiated consultations with Opposition parties and is considering introducing a Constitutional Amendment Bill during the ongoing parliamentary session if consensus is reached. In parallel, a second bill to establish a Delimitation Commission is also being prepared as part of the process.
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A Union Cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday is expected to take up and potentially clear both proposals, signalling a significant step toward operationalising the long-delayed reform.
On Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah led the outreach effort, holding discussions with leaders from several regional parties within the Opposition bloc. These included representatives from the Nationalist Congress Party, Shiv Sena, YSR Congress Party, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, and Biju Janata Dal. Later in the evening, Shah also met with NDA allies to brief them on the developments.
On Tuesday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge convened a meeting of leaders from the ‘INDIA’ bloc to chalk out a unified strategy on the issue. Meanwhile, Congress MP Manickam Tagore stated that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has already held multiple rounds of discussions with Kharge regarding the proposed legislation.
The proposed move marks a renewed push to implement women’s reservation in legislatures, an issue that has remained on hold for years despite broad political support.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
