BJP to hold special assembly session in four states on women's quota bill

New Delhi: At least four state Assemblies – Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Odisha – where the BJP is in majority will hold special sessions on women’ participation in politics this week against the backdrop of the saffron party’s campaign against the Opposition over the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill on delimitation linked to 33 per cent women’s quota.

The TDP-ruled Andhra Pradesh also is likely to hold a special session in May.

Madhya Pradesh and Haryana Assemblies have scheduled the discussion on April 27 while Delhi Assembly has called the session the next day. Odisha Assembly has scheduled the discussions on April 30.

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 seeking for delimitation of Lok Sabha seats and implementing 33 per cent women’s quota on its basis could not muster a two-third majority in Lok Sabha during a special session earlier this month. The ruling side got 298 votes, short of 352 needed, while the Opposition managed 230.

The BJP had then announced that it would go to the streets to expose the Opposition’s “anti-women” stand. The Opposition, however, hit back saying the Bill was about delimitation but disguised as one on women’s quota and argued that the government has no political will to implement it immediately.

The Congress has also announced protest programmes demanding the immediate implementation of women’s quota in the existing strength of Lok Sabha. Mahila Congress has announced it will send one million postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding immediate implementation of women’s quota.

Congress’ OBC Department is embarking on a nationwide campaign for implementation of 33 per cent women’s reservation with a focus on quota-within-quota for OBC women. They will organise meetings and protest programmes across the country to press for the quota for OBC women and the first such meeting would be in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur on May 1.