Athawale Confident Women's Reservation, Delimitation Bills Will Pass in Monsoon Session

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has expressed confidence that the Women's Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill will be passed during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, July 16, Athawale attributed this to the NDA's clear majority in both houses.

The Women's Reservation Bill seeks to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women, while the Delimitation Bill aims to redraw constituency boundaries based on the latest census. Delimitation is typically conducted every 30–35 years to reflect population changes.

During the previous Parliament session, a Constitution amendment bill to implement women's reservation from 2029 and increase Lok Sabha seats was defeated. Out of 528 members who voted, 298 supported the bill, 230 opposed it, falling short of the required two-thirds majority of 352 votes. Athawale blamed the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Trinamool Congress (TMC) for its failure.

Athawale, who leads the Republican Party of India (Athawale) and is an ally of the BJP, noted that some members of the TMC and Shiv Sena (UBT) now support the NDA, while the DMK has parted ways with the Congress. He claimed the NDA has a two-thirds majority and appealed to all parties to support the bills' passage.

The minister stated that if passed, women would get reservation in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. He also emphasised the necessity of delimitation, which has not been done since the 1970s.