The Congress on Sunday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to Opposition parties to support the delimitation-linked women's reservation bill as "drama", accusing him of prioritising "Modi preservation, not women's reservation".

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh questioned the Prime Minister's intentions and said Modi should stop "sermonising" from the Red Fort and instead implement the women's quota based on the current strength of the Lok Sabha for the 2029 general election.

Congress cites history of women's reservation

Responding to Modi's appeal in his Independence Day address, Ramesh said the chronology of women's reservation in local bodies and legislatures was important.

He pointed to the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Bills passed in 1993, which provided one-third reservation for women in panchayats, zilla parishads, block panchayats and municipalities.

Ramesh credited former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi with laying the groundwork for the measure and playing a key role in bringing the provision into the Constitution.

He also referred to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which was passed unanimously in September 2023.

According to Ramesh, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had then argued that women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies should be implemented immediately.

Congress wants quota based on current Lok Sabha

Ramesh said the Congress and other Opposition parties had repeatedly demanded that the women's reservation be implemented based on the existing 543-member strength of the Lok Sabha.

That would mean reserving 182 seats for women, he said.

He questioned why the government later linked implementation of the quota to delimitation.

Ramesh said the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, was notified at 11 pm on April 16, 2026, while Parliament was discussing the delimitation issue.

He alleged that the government's focus had been on linking women's reservation with delimitation rather than implementing the quota immediately.

Delimitation bill failed to clear Lok Sabha

Ramesh also claimed that the government had attempted to secure the two-thirds majority required for the Constitution Amendment Bill but failed to do so.

The proposed legislation, brought during the extended Budget Session, sought to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures from 2029. It also proposed increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats.

The bill required a two-thirds majority in the Lower House. It was defeated after Opposition parties voted against it.

Of the 528 MPs who voted in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 298 supported the bill while 230 opposed it. The legislation required 352 votes to secure the required two-thirds majority.

"They don't have a two-thirds majority and will never get it," Ramesh said.

Modi urges parties to back women's quota

Ramesh's remarks came a day after Modi appealed to Opposition parties to support the delimitation-linked women's reservation legislation.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day, Modi said the issue had remained caught in political "akhada", or wrangling, for the past 40 years.

"Under the shadow of the national flag, I appeal to all political parties: let's come together in honour of those women and provide 33 per cent reservation to our mothers and daughters in assemblies and Lok Sabha and ensure their representation, so that they contribute in evolving India's policies," he said.

Modi also said political parties could take credit for helping pass the legislation.

"I urge all political parties to come forward in implementing the women reservation Bill and honour them. They should also take credit for its passage and contribute, but give that right to our women," he said, calling for women power to be honoured.  

Ramesh asks PM to act before 2029

Ramesh rejected Modi's appeal and said the Prime Minister should instead implement the women's reservation based on the existing strength of the Lok Sabha.

"Instead of repeatedly 'sermonising' from the Red Fort and doing this 'drama', the PM must implement women's reservation on the current strength of the Lok Sabha from the 2029 general election," he said.

"The PM's single-point agenda is 'Modi preservation, not women's reservation'," Ramesh said.