Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 17: Stating that the expectations of millions of Indian women rest on the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged all political parties to support the Women’s Reservation Bill during voting in the House.

The BJP-led NDA government, which has linked the proposed 33 per cent reservation for women to a future delimitation exercise, does not have the required two-thirds majority to pass the constitutional amendment on its own. The House is scheduled to vote on the Bill at 4 pm following an extensive debate that began on Thursday.

In a post on X, Modi said that misconceptions surrounding the Bill had been clarified and concerns raised by members had been addressed. He appealed to all parties to take a sensitive and considered decision in favour of the legislation. Emphasising the aspirations of “Nari Shakti”, he urged members not to act in a way that could hurt their sentiments.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led Opposition, particularly parties from southern states, has criticised the move, alleging that the government is pushing a flawed and biased delimitation process while using the women’s quota as a cover.

The Lok Sabha is currently debating the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty First Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to reserve 33 per cent seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies.

Alongside this, the House is also considering the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, extending similar provisions to Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as a Delimitation Bill proposing to increase and redraw constituencies, taking the total number of Lok Sabha seats to 850.