Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday assured lawmakers that amendments to speed up the rollout of women’s reservation in legislatures by 2029, including a proposal to increase seats in the Lok Sabha by 50% and demarcate boundaries on the basis of the 2011 census, will not discriminate or oppress anyone. He warned that those who opposed reservations in the past had to pay a heavy price for a long time.
The Delimitation Bill, 2026, the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 seek to increase Lok Sabha seats and conduct delimitation based on the latest 2011 census figures, to begin quotas from the 2029 general elections.
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Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Modi sought to allay opposition concerns that the bills would lead to southern states losing their relative political power in Parliament and benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He stressed that the proportional representation of states in Parliament will remain as it is, and will not be changed by increasing the number of seats.
The opposition questioned the government regarding the lack of a guarantee for the maintenance of proportional representation. They demanded to know why ensuring an overall increase in the number of seats by 50% was not included in the bill as well.
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“If you need a guarantee, I give you a guarantee. If you need a promise, I make a promise… Because if the intention is clear, there is no need to play with words,” Modi said. He said that the government’s intention to accelerate the implementation of a 33% quota for women in Parliament and state assemblies is to compensate for depriving them of the space they are entitled to in decision-making.
“We should not mislead ourselves into thinking that we are giving something to women… This is their right that we have denied for decades. Today is the opportunity to atone for sins…”
Modi urged the opposition to put aside political differences to pass bills that require a two-thirds majority. He said there was no personal glory that motivated him to push for the legislation. He said: “If we all come together, it will not be for the benefit of any particular person or party. Rather, it will be for the benefit of the country’s democracy and the country’s collective decision-making power. We will all share the glory…” “People think there’s my self-interest… If I oppose it, obviously it will be so. But if we all work together, no one benefits. We don’t want credit. I’m willing to give credit,” he said.
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Modi said that this issue has been discussed for a long time and it is time to give women space in the decision-making process. He said that the concept of developed India is not limited to gleaming infrastructure and economic development alone, but envisions that 50% of the population should be part of the policy making process.
Modi said that those who want to advance and succeed in political life must agree that there are tens of thousands of women at the grassroots level who hold leadership positions. “In the last 25-30 years, women who have won at the grassroots level in panchayat elections have gained political awareness. Earlier, they were silent, they understood, but they did not speak out. They are opinion makers, they have a voice. They are agitated, and they want to be added to the decision-making process, which is what happens in legislative bodies.”
Responding to the Congress and Samajwadi Party’s demand to create quotas for other backward class women, he said: “Let 33% women come, they will decide who will come… Why doubt their political acumen.”
He said that if the quota was not implemented by 2029, parties would not be in a position to convince women of its seriousness. He said: “More than the decision, it is the intention that will be examined, and any bad faith will not be forgiven by women.” He stressed that the issue was in the national interest, and said that the need of the hour was not to delay the quotas any further.
