“Delimitation Through the Back Door…”: Gaurav Gogoi Accuses Union Govt of Using Women’s Quota for Political Gains

Senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday accused the Union government of using the implementation of the 33 per cent women’s reservation as a pretext to push delimitation “through the back door”, alleging that the move was aimed at political advantage rather than genuine representation.

Speaking in Parliament during a special three-day sitting convened to consider key Bills linked to expanding the strength of the Lok Sabha, Gogoi said the Congress had maintained a consistent position on the issue since 2023. He asserted that the women’s quota should be implemented within the existing strength of the Lok Sabha, without being tied to delimitation.

Gaurav Gogoi also questioned the proposal to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850, arguing that such a move lacked any clear basis. He alleged that the government intended to use delimitation as a political tool, drawing parallels with past exercises. “The government is attempting to weaponise delimitation for political gains, as was done in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

The Bills under consideration are: the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seek to expand Lok Sabha seats and carry out delimitation based on the latest available data, effectively the 2011 Census, in order to implement the women’s quota ahead of the 2029 general elections.

Responding to the criticism, Tejasvi Surya of the Bharatiya Janata Party defended the proposed legislation, describing it as a landmark step for women’s empowerment. “The Narendra Modi government is not only going to fast-track the implementation of the quota by 2029, but it is also going to write a new chapter in the development journey of India. For the first time, it is giving the women in the country a vocal, visible, credible, and tangible representation in the national building process,” Surya said.

Addressing concerns raised by southern and smaller states over a potential loss of representation following delimitation, Surya maintained that the proposed framework offered them a favourable outcome. He also accused sections of the Opposition of spreading misinformation. “Certain members of the Opposition have been involved in systematic misleading and propaganda in the most irresponsible, anarchic fashion… to misdirect people in South India,” he said.

The developments come amid a special sitting of Parliament from April 16 to 18 to pass amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. At the centre of the Opposition’s objections is the proposed delimitation exercise, which aims to redraw constituencies and reallocate seats based on population data. The plan includes increasing the Lok Sabha’s strength from 543 seats to as many as 850, a move that could significantly reshape political representation across states. Opposition parties have expressed concern over the reliance on the 2011 Census for such a major restructuring, warning that it could alter the balance of representation ahead of the 2029 general elections.