Women's Groups to Protest in Chennai, Demand Immediate 33% Reservation Without Census Link

Various women's rights associations are set to stage a protest in front of Lok Bhavan in Chennai on July 22, demanding the unconditional implementation of 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies. The announcement was made by A. Radhika, state secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), during a press conference on Monday, July 20, 2026.

Ms. Radhika stated that the protest would call for the implementation of women's reservation without linking it to the Census and delimitation exercise. She added that the associations have been seeking support from various political parties to raise the issue in Parliament during the monsoon session, aiming for early implementation.

G. Manjula, state unit president of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), highlighted that Article 334-A of the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023—also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam—ties the reservation to the Census and a subsequent delimitation exercise. “Because of Article 334-A, the reservation for women could not be implemented,” she contended.

Ms. Manjula further noted that the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which sought to redistribute Lok Sabha seats based on the 2011 Census to expedite women's reservation, was introduced but defeated in the Lok Sabha after numerous protests. She urged that the bill be reintroduced during the current monsoon session without linking reservation to the Census and delimitation.

V. Ramani of the Tamil Nadu Women's Movement criticized the conditional implementation, calling it a “deceiving act of politics and conspiracy by the BJP-led Union government.” She demanded that the government introduce and implement 33% reservation for women without the Census and delimitation linkage.