union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Thursday said the Centre tried to ensure implementation of women’s reservation in Parliament before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, asserting that recent legislative efforts were aimed at removing procedural hurdles.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar as part of the union government’s outreach campaign targeting the Opposition for not supporting the Bill, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam passed in 2023, marked a historic step toward women’s empowerment but was tied to the completion of the Census and a subsequent delimitation exercise, which could push implementation beyond 2029.
“To ensure that women get representation in the 2029 elections, the government brought three key legislations on April 16, 2026 — the Constitution Amendment Bill, the Delimitation Bill, and the union Territories Law Amendment Bill,” he said, adding that these were intended to delink the reservation process from delays in Census and delimitation.
The minister noted that conducting the Census could take up to two years, followed by another few years for delimitation. “If we waited for the entire process, implementation could be pushed beyond 2029. That is why the government moved proactively,” he said.
However, Rathore said the proposed amendments could not be passed, blaming the opposition for creating what he termed “misconceptions” around the bills. He said one such claim was that the legislation was unnecessary since the 2023 Act had already been passed.
“That argument ignores the operative conditions in the 2023 law, which clearly link implementation to Census and delimitation. Without addressing those, the reservation cannot be enforced in time,” he said.
Responding to concerns that southern states could lose representation, Rathore said seat allocation would increase proportionately across all states. “There is no question of loss. In fact, representation will see a marginal increase,” he added.
On demands for inclusion of OBC reservation within the women’s quota, he said Parliament remains open for discussion but stressed that the absence of such a provision should not be used to stall the broader legislation.
Highlighting grassroots participation, Rathore said nearly 14.5 lakh women are already part of Panchayati Raj institutions across India, accounting for about 46 percent representation. “The next step is to ensure similar participation in legislative bodies,” he said.
He also emphasized that the government does not intend to reduce existing Lok Sabha seats but instead expand representation. “We do not want to take away seats from current representatives. Expansion is the way forward,” he said.
Taking a swipe at opposition parties, Rathore said, “There is a clear difference between those who discuss and those who deliver. The government has shown the will to implement what it promises.”
Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, he said women in the region have demonstrated resilience and leadership, and deserve equal participation in policymaking.
“Women empowerment cannot remain limited to speeches. It must translate into real representation in lawmaking bodies,” he said, adding that the government remains committed to ensuring that women play a decisive role in shaping the country’s future.
