Special Parliament Session Highlights: Amit Shah Says Delimitation Will Increase Strength Of Southern States; Priyanka Flags Timing

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday addressed the special session of Parliament and assured the members that the Delimitation Bill will not decrease the representation of southern states, asserting that the representation will only increase. He said that if enacted, the Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu will increase to 59 from the existing 39. 

"Delimitation bill exactly like previous bill brought by earlier govts. Narrative being spread that representation of southern states will go down in LS, their strength will in fact go up," said Amit Shah.

Speaking in Lok Sabha on women's reservation and delimitation, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "There should be no doubt that the Indian National Congress stands firmly in favour of women's protection and reservation, and will continue to do so."

#WATCH | Speaking in Lok Sabha on women's reservation and delimitation, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says, "There should be no doubt that the Indian National Congress stands firmly in favour of women's protection and reservation, and will continue to do so..."

She says,… pic.twitter.com/eLfzGYSfqg

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the provision of 33 per cent reservation in panchayats and municipalities was first introduced by the Congress government under Rajiv Gandhi. "The provision of 33 per cent reservation in panchayats and municipalities was first introduced in the House by the Indian National Congress government under the leadership of the late Rajiv Gandhi..." She says, "I would like to give a little background on this topic. Because the Prime Minister mentioned a lot in his speech about who stopped it, how it was stopped, and how this decision was stalled for 30 years. My colleagues in the ruling party may not like this, but the historical background is that it was also initiated by a man named Nehru," she said.

#WATCH | Speaking in Lok Sabha on women's reservation and delimitation, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says, "The provision of 33 per cent reservation in panchayats and municipalities was first introduced in the House by the Indian National Congress government under the… pic.twitter.com/9LPGBVOSAK

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said that women are quick to recognise those who repeatedly try to mislead them. “Women quickly recognise men who repeatedly try to mislead them,” Gandhi said.

Speaking outside the Parliament, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the Women’s Reservation Bill is being introduced without a population census. He questioned its timing and raised concerns over how new constituencies will be drawn under the delimitation process. "This Bill is being brought without population census or including the backward classes. This is being brought for appeasement. We are in favour of this Bill, but why are they bringing it right now? And which census is being considered?... Every party supports this, but what about the new map of the constituencies that the 'Khufiya' people made? This question is about delimitation, how will the new constituencies be made," Yadav said.

#WATCH | Delhi | On PM Modi's address on the Women's Reservation Bill, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav says, "This Bill is being brought without population census or including the backward classes. This is being brought for appeasement. We are in favour of this Bill, but why… pic.twitter.com/xVglBwY0bI

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026

Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje said that the PM Modi is committed to providing reservation for women, who are already performing well in local governance bodies. "The Prime Minister intends to provide reservation to women. Women are performing commendably in Gram Panchayats and District Panchayats... This is a right belonging to women; therefore, they must receive reservation... Nowhere in the Constitution is there a provision for reservation based on religion. As for the matter of delimitation, delimitation will certainly take place... Women should receive reservations in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections," she said.

#WATCH | Delhi | On PM Modi's address on Women's Reservation Bill, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje says, "The Prime Minister intends to provide reservation to women. Women are performing commendably in Gram Panchayats and District Panchayats... This is a right belonging to… pic.twitter.com/p3ATv3Lbpq

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026

Debate continues in Lok Sabha over Women’s Reservation and delimitation bills, with sharp exchanges between government and Opposition. RJD MP Abhay Kumar Sinha is currently speaking in the Lok Sabha.

Speaking outside Parliament on PM Modi’s address, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav said that all political parties are united in supporting the legislation, which was passed unanimously in 2023. "Regarding the narrative being built that the Opposition is against this measure, given that it was passed unanimously in 2023, the question of any opposition simply does not arise. The manner in which it was originally passed stipulated that it would be implemented following a census and subsequent delimitation. All political parties are united in their support for this bill; why, then, is its format being altered repeatedly? You speak of 2029; well, we are ready. Implement the 33% reservation for women across all 543 parliamentary seats right now. The Samajwadi Party is fully prepared for this," she said.

#WATCH | Delhi | On PM Modi's address in the Parliament on the Women's Reservation Bill, SP MP Dimple Yadav says, "...Regarding the narrative being built that the Opposition is against this measure, given that it was passed unanimously in 2023, the question of any opposition… pic.twitter.com/V9VACSFwTT

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026

Speaking outside Parliament, BJP MP Ravi Kishan reacted to PM Modi’s address on the Women’s Reservation Bill, alleging that the Opposition delayed the legislation for 25-30 years. "For 25–30 years, these people failed to enact this legislation. They suppressed the voices of women, constantly finding excuses, always interjecting with 'buts,' 'ifs,' and 'howevers.' An injustice has been done to women... Yet they are at the forefront in every field. The Prime Minister clearly stated, 'If you want the credit, take it.' Support this initiative. Otherwise, you will face a crushing defeat in the Uttar Pradesh elections and the Bengal elections of 2027. Women must step forward. They are capable... The women of this country will not forgive the Opposition," Kishan said.

#WATCH | Delhi | On PM Modi's address on Women's Reservation Bill in the Parliament, BJP MP Ravi Kishan says, "For 25–30 years, these people failed to enact this legislation. They suppressed the voices of women, constantly finding excuses, always interjecting with 'buts,' 'ifs,'… pic.twitter.com/jucWxVQMgV

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026

Congress MP Rajiv Shukla said that no one is opposing the Women’s Reservation Bill. However, he raised concerns that the delimitation process could be used in a way that benefits certain political interests. "Who is opposing the Women's Reservation Bill? Everyone wants women's reservation to be implemented. The issue is that, during the delimitation process, they will strategically place their own people to manipulate the constituencies in such a way that it creates difficulties for other political parties," Shukla said.

#WATCH | Delhi | Congress MP Rajiv Shukla says, "Who is opposing the Women's Reservation Bill? Everyone wants women's reservation to be implemented. The issue is that, during the delimitation process, they will strategically place their own people to manipulate the constituencies… pic.twitter.com/ExQJmwucOA

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026

PMN Modi said that he does not seek credit for the decision and is ready to acknowledge everyone after its passage. He added that if needed, he would even print advertisements thanking all parties and offer them full credit for the move. "Iska agar virodh karenge toh rajnitik laabh mujhe hoga. Lekin saath chalenge toh kisi ko bhi nahi hoga... Humey credit nahi chahiye... As soon as this gets passed, I am ready to print an advertisement and thank all of you. I will get everyone's photos printed too. You care about getting credit? Take the credit... I am ready to give you a blank cheque of credit,'' he said.

#WATCH | "Iska agar virodh karenge toh rajnitik laabh mujhe hoga. Lekin saath chalenge toh kisi ko bhi nahi hoga... Humey credit nahi chahiye... As soon as this gets passed, I am ready to print an advertisement and thank all of you. I will get everyone's photos printed too. You… pic.twitter.com/ariEJhwOYW

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026

PM Modi said the process would not discriminate against anyone and would remain fair to all. "I want to say responsibly today that this will not discriminate against anyone. This decision process will not be unfair to anyone. The government that was in power earlier, the delimitation of the seats, and the ratio that has been in place since then, will remain unchanged, and the ratio will remain the same," he said.

#WATCH | Speaking in Lok Sabha on women's reservation and delimitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "I want to say responsibly today that this will not discriminate against anyone. This decision process will not be unfair to anyone. The government that was in power… pic.twitter.com/IAeqXUOM4Z

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate on women’s reservation and delimitation, PM Modi said that if the word “guarantee” is needed, he is ready to use it, and if “promise” is preferred, he can use that as well. "If the word 'guarantee' is required, I use the word 'guarantee'. If you talk about a promise, I use the word 'promise'. If there is a better word in Tamil, I am also ready to use that. If the intent is clear, then we do not need to play games with words," PM Modi said.

#WATCH | Speaking in Lok Sabha on women's reservation and delimitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "If the word 'guarantee' is required, I use the word 'guarantee'. If you talk about a promise, I use the word 'promise'. If there is a better word in Tamil, I am also ready… https://t.co/WnX81rmLyD pic.twitter.com/aEFTVozWBS

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that participation of women in policy making should increase. "In the 21st century, India is moving forward with a new self-confidence. We all feel India's acceptance in the world today. This is a moment of pride for all of us. I believe that a 'Viksit Bharat' does not only mean railways, roads, infrastructure, or economic or progress figures. We are not people with such a limited vision of a 'Viksit Bharat'. We want a 'Viksit Bharat', where policy-making truly embodies the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.' It is the demand of the time that 50 per cent of the country's population becomes part of policy-making," he asserted. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the women reservation bill will provide a direction to the country. "I said at the outset that we are all fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in such an important, nation-building process involving half the country's population... We MPs must not let this important opportunity slip away. Together, we Indians are going to give the country a new direction. We are going to make a meaningful effort to infuse our governance system with sensitivity. This will not only shape the nation's politics, but it will also determine the direction and condition of the country," he asserted.

In a special message to the opposition leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the women will teach lesson to those opposing the historic bill.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the Lok Sabha, stated that the women reservation bill should have been passed earlier.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun his address in the lower house over the three key bills

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his address in the Lok Sabha at 3 PM

Union Minister Chirag Paswan stated that the opposition should not protest against the bill at the time of implementation. "This demand has been decades old. Providing women's reservation is essential. In such a situation, it is beyond my understanding why efforts are being made to deprive women of these rights. Sometimes reservation within reservation is made the basis, sometimes the number of seats is made the basis. First, everyone worked to pass it, but now, at the time of implementation, the opposition is protesting against it," Paswan asserted.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor stated that the government is not conducting the caste census, adding that the BJP has not given powers to Delhi CM Rekha Gupta. "The issue is very simple. The govt has a plan to re-delimit the constituencies to increase the number of seats in the areas where the ruling party is strong. They are using women's reservation to bring about that change. This is political demonetisation," Tharoor stated.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya stated that the current government has offered a great deal to the southern states, adding that the opposition leaders should support the proposal.

CPI(M) MP John Brittas stated that the bill should not be linked with the delimitation process, adding that the sate governments should be consulted before any such step. "If the government is sincere about the cause of women's empowerment, let them forthwith implement women's reservation out of the 543 memberships of the Lok Sabha. Let it be disconnected from delimitation, census and all these plethora of qualifications which they want to bring in. We will not support any move to increase the number of Lok Sabha and assemblies without having sufficient consultation with the stakeholders and state governments," Brittas asserted.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, in his address, stated that the opposition parties have spread false information regarding the delimitation bill. He further stated that the current government has provided rights to the women of the country.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that the "historic" women reservation bill will provide equal rights to the women. "It is a historic bill for women. I believe it is a revolutionary bill in the history of the country. Women will get equal opportunities in democracy," Gadkari stated.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya criticised the opposition parties RJD and SP for opposing the women reservation bill in the past. He stated that the NDA government has worked tirelessly to provide justice to the women.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi asserted that the women's reservation bill should pass; however, it should not be linked with delimitation. "You are again and again creating hurdles for women's reservation. If you had listened to us in 2023, women's reservation would have been implemented in 2024. We are urging that women's reservation should not be linked with delimitation. If you do that, we will definitely support it. This bill is not for women's reservation, but it is for delimitation through the back door," Gogoi stated.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi stated that the women reservation bill is being tweaked for the political purposes. He claimed that the BJP is using the bill for political gains.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that there will be equal increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha members, adding that no state will face discrimination. "The women’s reservation bill was passed in 2023, providing for implementing its provisions based on census after 2026 and delimitation. There will be an equal, 50 per cent increase in the strength of Lok Sabha members, and this will translate to 815 seats, of which 272 will be reserved for women, which comes to one-third of the strength of the House. There will be no loss to anyone (states), and they will retain their strength," Meghwal asserted.

Congress MP Rajeev Shukla stated that all the parties have supported the bill; however, the BJP government is trying to damage the constitutional framework. "All opposition parties have collectively decided that we are in support of women's reservation, we want reservation for women. We stand with the proposal that was passed in 2023, but through delimitation, they want to conspire to scatter all sections and damage the constitutional framework, and we oppose that," he stated.

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, in his address, praised BR Ambedkar for providing right to vote to the women.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asserted that the voting on all the three bills will be on Friday at 4 pm. He stated that the voting will be conducted after a lengthy debate and discussion.

While 215 MPs voted in favour to discuss the delimitation bill in the lower house, 185 members opposed the proposal.

The opposition leaders have asked for division of votes to introduce bill to tweak women reservation bill in the parliament.

The Lok Sabha MPs have voted in favour of the introduction of the Constitution Bill. While 207 MPs voted in favour of the bill, 126 members opposed it.

Congress MP Mallu Ravi stated that the bill was being introduced urgently, adding that the Congress supports the women reservation bill. "Three bills are being introduced. There was no urgency to bring these bills. The women's reservation was already passed in the Rajya Sabha by Congress under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh. Now, this bill is an extension of this bill. Congress will support women's reservation. When it comes to delimitation, there is no urgency for the bill regarding it to be introduced," Ravi stated. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the caste census process has already begun, adding that reservation based on religion is unconstitutional. "Akhilesh Yadav asked why the census is not being conducted. I want to inform the entire country that the census process has already begun. The government has taken a decision to conduct a caste census, and the enumeration is being carried out along with caste data. If it were up to the Samajwadi Party, they would even assign castes to households. Dharmendra Yadav spoke about giving reservations to Muslim women. This is unconstitutional. Reservation based on religion is unconstitutional," Shah stated. 

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Thursday tabled the bill to tweak the women reservation bill passed back in 2023

JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha questioned that why the opposition is opposing the bill now while it was already passed back in 2023. "The Women's Reservation Bill was passed back in 2023 itself, so why are they opposing it now? Our party has supported it from the very beginning, Nitish Kumar has always been in favour of it," Jha stated.

Home Minister Amit Shah slammed the Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav for proposing political reservation to the Muslim women.

Congress senior leader KC Venugopal on Thursday alleged that the BJP is trying to snatch the democratic rights of the southern states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the Lok Sabha at around 3 PM today, reported the news agency ANI

Ahead of the special parliament session, the opposition party leaders on Thursday met in Parliament premises to discuss strategy.

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday criticised the centre for proposing the delimitation bill. "Today is a very important day. I am wearing a black shirt opposing the Delimitation Bill. The Union is trying to reduce the representation from Tamil Nadu...Using the election time in Tamil Nadu, the Union government is trying to divert us with the election and bring this Delimitation Bill," Stalin said. 

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Parliament to attend the special session with a focus on reservation for women and delimitation. 

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is playing politics. "Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is playing politics and is misguided by some people here. Nobody is against the women's reservation, but they are going to use some excuse to defeat, which should not be done. If you want to defeat the women's reservation by using some pretext, it will be the most unfortunate moment... So, Tamil Nadu or any state should not worry. They should not misguide and mislead the people. That's my appeal... Every state, every union territory of India, need not worry. Everybody will be given a fair chance, representation and opportunities," he was quoted as saying by ANI. 

Kiren Rijiju asserted that the rights of any state will not be snatched, further urging the opposition leaders to not spread lies regarding the delimitation bill. "I have one appeal to make to the opposition parties. Please don't spread rumours on delimitation. On the pretext of delimitation, don't oppose the women's reservation...I have a very specific appeal to all the opposition parties not to spread rumours and mislead the people of South India, and also not to misinterpret or misconstrue the good objective by raising some other issues. Don't make some excuse to defeat the women's reservation," Rijiju asserted. 

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that this is a historic day, adding that the bill will always be remembered. "I am very happy that today is a historic day... This bill is a historic piece of legislation which will forever be remembered that the Parliament of India has taken this historic decision to provide 33 % reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and in the assemblies of different states. I am very confident that all the parties are going to support and to ensure that the long-pending women's reservation doesn't get defeated," Rijiju stated.

Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav stated that reservation to women cannot be given without concrete data. "Yeh khufiya logon ki gupt yojana hai...We are not against reservation for women, but against the way this bill is being brought. They are against Dalits, Muslims, and the Backwards classes. When we talk about 33 per cent reservation, how can we give reservation if we don't have the right numbers?" he told the reporters. 

Congress MP Hibi Eden on Thursday gave notice to oppose the introduction of the Delimitation Bill in the Lok Sabha, reported ANI.

Congress leader Karti Chidambaram stated that the session has been called deliberately in the middle of the campaign of the state polls. "Convening of Parliament at this time is very devious. Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are yet to go to polls; we are in the middle of the campaign. In order to disrupt the campaign of the principal political parties in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, which are opposed to the BJP, the govt has called for a Parliament session. This shows the underhand agenda of the govt. To tie up the Women's Reservation Bill with delimitation is another googly. While we all support women's reservation, tying it with delimitation is another devious agenda of the govt. We will oppose this bill (Delimitation bill)...INDIA bloc will opppse this bill ansd the govt will not have enough numjbers to pass this bill," he stated. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday burned a copy of the Delimitation Bill, referring it as a black law. "Today, I have reignited that fire by burning a copy of this black law and hoisting the black flag. This fire will spread across the Dravidian land. It will rise, it will rage, and it will bring the BJP’s arrogance to its knees," Stalin was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI.

Congress MP Manish Tewari, in a post on X, stated that while he supports the women reservation bill, the delimitation will damage the federal structure of the country. "I support the 33 per cent reservation for women. I oppose a dangerous delimitation. As it's implications will be deleterious, detrimental and destructive for our polity," Tewari stated.

Several women MPs of BJP, including Bansuri Swaraj, Raksha Khadse and Aparajita Sarangi are likely to lead the debate on the Women's Reservation Bill.

Congress leader Manickam Tagore on Thursday criticised Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for his stance on the delimitation bill.

Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi stated that the BJP is trying to use the delimitation to its advantage for the 2029 polls. "One of the BJP's dangerous plans is to "gerrymander" all Lok Sabha seats to its advantage for the 2029 elections. The proposed Bills remove all Constitutional safeguards on delimitation, giving full power to the Delimitation Commission which the govt itself will appoint and direct," he stated in his post on X.

Ahead of the key session, DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi moved a motion in the Lok Sabha opposing the introduction of three government bills.

In a post on X, PM Modi stated that the country is set to tale a historic step towards the women empowerment. "Starting today, in the special session of Parliament, our country is all set to take a historic step towards women's empowerment. The respect for our mothers and sisters is the respect for the nation, and with this very spirit, we are moving forward resolutely in this direction," he stated.