Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of engineering the women reservation bill defeat and alleged a plan to weaken quotas through constitutional changes.
Speaking in New Delhi on Saturday, he said the Union government aimed to use its “Char Sau Paar” slogan to secure numbers in the 2024 elections. He added that such strength could allow changes to reservation policy.
He then asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prove commitment by introducing a fresh women reservation bill without delay. He proposed reserving one-third of the 543 Lok Sabha seats and one-third of Assembly seats for women.
Further, he said the INDIA alliance would support the bill if introduced. He also asserted that Parliament could pass it by Monday and implement it from Tuesday.
Women reservation bill legislative proposal
Revanth Reddy stated that existing census data and delimitation figures were adequate to enforce a 33 percent quota. He noted that the Election Commission had already compiled the required data. Moreover, he said the 2009 delimitation exercise offered a workable base.
He argued that the policy could take effect by August 15, 2026. Subsequently, he said it could be implemented in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections.
He also expressed readiness to consult southern Chief Ministers, including M. K. Stalin, Pinarayi Vijayan, Siddaramaiah, N. Chandrababu Naidu and N. Rangasamy, to gather support.
In addition, he maintained that the 2023 bill needed only minor changes. He challenged the BJP leadership to act quickly. Referring to remarks by Amit Shah, he said sufficient time remained to revise and pass the law.
Women reservation bill and delimitation concerns
The Chief Minister linked the women reservation bill defeat to wider concerns over delimitation and constitutional amendments. He said opposition parties had blocked attempts to alter reservation provisions through related bills.
He claimed the failure of the legislation showed a lack of sincerity by the Prime Minister. At the same time, he accused the BJP of arrogance in Parliament.
On delimitation, he urged the Centre to hold an all-party meeting. He also called for consultations with states, experts, and the public. However, he opposed a pro-rata approach and suggested increasing Assembly seats through consensus.
He warned that the BJP’s proposal could weaken southern, northeastern, and smaller states politically. Consequently, he said such a move would harm democratic balance.
Revanth Reddy questioned the Centre’s stance toward southern states and said they were being unfairly penalised. He also criticised remarks by Tejasvi Surya.
Further, he targeted Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy and MP K. Laxman. He alleged they prioritised political advancement over public concerns.
Finally, he accused the BJP of running a smear campaign against the Congress. He asserted that the party’s commitment to women’s reservation remained clear.