Supriya Sule's Conditional Nod to Women's Quota Bill Rattles INDIA Bloc

New Delhi: Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Supriya Sule on Wednesday indicated that her party could support the delimitation Bill for implementing women's reservation if the government ensures a uniform 50% increase in seats for all states. The statement has caused unease within the Opposition INDIA bloc, which is already grappling with defections and internal dissent.

The Bill, a constitutional amendment to increase parliamentary seats for women, was defeated in April when the government failed to muster the required two-thirds majority. Since then, 37 MPs from four anti-BJP parties have crossed over to the ruling side, marking the largest floor crossing since the anti-defection law was enacted in 1985.

Sule's remarks have particularly worried Opposition leaders, as the NCP (SP) has nine MPs — eight in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha. The NDA currently has 319 MPs in the Lok Sabha; if the NCP (SP) supports the Bill, the tally would rise to 327, still 33 short of the two-thirds mark of 360. In the Rajya Sabha, the NDA is expected to reach 155 after by-elections, just nine short of a simple majority; with NCP (SP) support, it would cross 156.

Government sources indicated that the Bill would be reintroduced only after incorporating changes sought by regional parties to ensure the required majority. Parliamentary sources added that Speaker Om Birla may officially recognize breakaway factions of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Trinamool Congress before the session begins July 20.

Some Opposition leaders interpreted Sule's comments as an effort to pacify restive party MPs following the split in the Shiv Sena (UBT). A senior Congress leader said, “On one hand, she says if the revised Bill ensures a uniform 50% increase, there is little reason to oppose. On the other, she says no final decision has been taken. The message seems aimed at her MPs: that they need not defect to the NDA.”

However, concerns persist that other regional parties may adopt a similar stance. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, among others, are watching the situation closely. A Samajwadi Party MP said the party cannot align with the BJP ahead of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, but another leader noted that opposing a Bill that increases the state's representation could be politically damaging, hinting at a possible neutral stance.

One Opposition leader remarked that the bloc's unity is fragile, and Sule's statement could trigger further fragmentation. The Monsoon Session of Parliament begins on July 20, and the government is expected to make another attempt to pass the women's reservation Bill.