Kiren Rijiju urges opposition not to spread rumours on delimitation, backs women’s reservation bill

New Delhi: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday appealed to opposition parties not to spread “rumours” over the proposed delimitation exercise and cautioned against linking it to opposition to the women’s reservation bill.

Addressing reporters, Rijiju said the objective of the legislation should not be “misinterpreted or misconstrued” by raising unrelated concerns.

“Please don't spread rumours on delimitation. On the pretext of delimitation, don't oppose the women's reservation,” he said.

He described the legislation as a landmark move and said it would ensure 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

“This bill is a historic piece of legislation… I am very confident that all the parties are going to support and ensure that the long-pending women's reservation doesn't get defeated,” he added.

The proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill is tied to a population-based delimitation exercise using 2011 Census data, which is expected to redraw constituency boundaries and impact the composition of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Opposition parties have expressed concerns over the delimitation proposal, particularly after the Centre cleared draft amendments to operationalise the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.

They have also questioned the timing of the special Parliament session.

The government, however, has indicated that it intends to implement women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 general elections through amendments that would delink the delimitation process from the 2027 Census.

The proposal also includes increasing the strength of Parliament to 850 seats—815 representing states and 35 from Union Territories—up from the current 543 seats in the Lok Sabha.

A special session of Parliament has been convened from April 16 to 18 to deliberate on the matter.

Also Read: Manipur CM meets Khomidok delegation, assures careful review; promises relief for IDPs