Congress president Malikarjun Kharge with after India bloc All party meeting to discuss a united strategy regarding the Women's Reservation Bill and parliamentary seat expansion at Kharge's residence, in New Delhi | Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

With opposition mounting a combined dissent against the women reservation bills, the government on Wednesday sought to allay concerns over a perceived disproportionate swelling of parliamentary seats in north in comparison to south and clarified that the delimitation based on the 2011 Census will lead to 50 per cent increase in the number of current seats for all states across the country.

Government sources said that the seats increase will be proportional and no injustice will be done to any State. The government will clarify the position clearly during the discussion on bills in parliament seeking reservation of one-third of the seats in Lok Sabha and assemblies for women on the basis of Census 2011 and not as per the ongoing census 2027, they explained.

The three-day special session of parliament is beginning on Thursday.

Sources also stated that the bills’ language is very clear and its wrong interpretation should be avoided to create any confusion in the minds of the people.

Unwilling to accept the government explanation, the INDIA Bloc all party leaders met on Wednesday and unanimously decided to oppose the delimitation bill, one of the three legislations to be introduced first in Lok Sabha and later in Rajya Sabha for discussion and passage. 

Briefing reporters after the INDIA Bloc meeting , Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said opposition parties are all in favour of women reservation but have reservation over the way in which the government is bringing them. “It is politically motivated and meant to suppress opposition. For that we have decided to oppose it,” Kharge added.

He stated that in 2010 and later in 2023, the Opposition accepted the Constitutional amendment to empower women but in case of delimitation they are “playing tricks”. “We will take one stand. Unitedly we have decided to oppose the delimitation bill,” he said.

The INDIA bloc parties are: Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena-UBT, CPI-M, AAP, Muslim League, JMM, CPI, CPI(ML), National Conference, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Kerala Congress, MDMK, RSP, AIMIM, and Independents.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stated that Congress will not allow the government to steal the share of representation of Other Backward Class (OBCs), Dalit and Adivasi communities calling it an “anti-national” move by the NDA.

Reiterating that his party unequivocally supports women reservation, Gandhi, in a post on X, said that the government must do delimitation only based on the 2026 Census, which is currently underway. Besides that, the Caste census must also be taken into consideration before bringing any such legislation, he insisted.

“What the government is proposing now has nothing to do with women’s reservation. This amendment is an attempted power grab using delimitation and gerrymandering. We will not allow ‘Hissa Chori’ from OBC, Dalit and Adivasi communities by ignoring the caste census data. We will also not allow Southern, North Eastern, North Western and smaller states to be treated unfairly,” he said. 

southern states

The opposition is up in arms as the southern States believe they stand to lose seats if the delimitation is done on the basis of the 2011 census. According to psephologist-cum-politician Yogendra Yadav who also attended the INDIA bloc meeting, Kerala would get 23 seats (additional 3) but should have got 31 if its present share was maintained. Hence it’s a loss of 8 seats. UP should have had 125 but would have 138, a gain of 13, he said.

Tamil Nadu, which has 39 seats will add 11 seats as per 2011 Census but it’s actually a loss of 11 seats if present share was maintained. Likewise, AP will gain nine seats to add to its present LS tally of 25 but it’s actually a loss of five seats, as per a breakup shared by Yadav.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday reached out to his counterparts in the southern States, including AP Chief Chandrababu Naidu who is an NDA ally, asking them to join hands to oppose the bills.

After chairing an emergency meeting of DMK MPs, party chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin warned the Central government of consequences and a “heavy price” if it did not heed to Tamil Nadu’s voice and went ahead with legislation. He alleged the proposed delimitation amendment was a “massive, historic injustice” against Tamil Nadu and the southern states and announced a state-wide black flag agitation on Thursday against the proposed delimitation exercise. 

Published on April 15, 2026