India Government Eyes Revival of Women's Reservation Legislation Amid Political Shifts

With two major opposition parties grappling with internal rebellions and a third distancing itself from the INDIA bloc , the Narendra Modi government is exploring the possibility of reviving the delimitation legislation needed to implement women's reservation in the Lok Sabha ahead of the 2029 general election, government sources said. Sources indicated that the Centre believes the shifting political landscape, coupled with growing support from opposition MPs for the ruling NDA, could improve the prospects of securing parliamentary approval for the legislation. While a Constitution amendment bill to give 33 per cent reservation to women was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17 , the delimitation bill and another draft law to implement the women's reservation law in the Union Territories (UTs) with assemblies are still pending in the Lower House as the government has not withdrawn them yet. Following the defeat of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the recent West Bengal assembly election, the regional party is on the verge of a split , both in the state Assembly and Parliament, with a majority of them siding with the ruling dispensation at the Centre. The DMK, which lost power in Tamil Nadu, is peeved with the Congress for the party's support to the new TVK government in the southern state. As the DMK distanced itself from the INDIA bloc after accusing the Congress of "backstabbing", sources indicated that the BJP could try to gather issue-based support from the Tamil Nadu party in Parliament, including on crucial legislation. Seven of the 10 MPs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Rajya Sabha have already joined the BJP , thus increasing the ruling alliance's tally in the Upper House.