New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday strongly opposed the proposed linkage between women’s reservation in legislatures and the delimitation process, warning that it could delay long awaited representation for women.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Tharoor argued that tying the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill to delimitation effectively puts women’s aspirations on hold, as delimitation remains a complex and politically sensitive exercise. He called for the reservation bill to be passed independently, without being contingent on future constituency restructuring.
Tharoor also raised concerns about the potential impact of delimitation on federal balance. He cautioned that states with higher population growth could gain greater political representation, while those that have successfully controlled population growth might lose influence. He questioned whether such an outcome would send the right message about governance and development.
Drawing a sharp comparison, Tharoor described the government’s approach as rushed, likening it to the speed of the 2016 Indian demonetisation. He warned that delimitation, if implemented hastily, could have far reaching political consequences, referring to it as “political demonetisation.”
He urged the government to prioritise the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which proposes 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies, and to hold a detailed and separate discussion on delimitation at a later stage.
The ongoing debate in Parliament also includes the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, along with proposed amendments to extend reservation provisions to Union Territories such as Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.
The discussion reflects broader concerns over representation, electoral balance, and the sequencing of key legislative reforms, with differing views emerging on how and when these changes should be implemented.
