New Delhi: PM Modi on Saturday contacted leaders of all parties in both Houses and sought their support next week to unanimously pass the Women’s Reservation Bill, which aims to reserve one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and assemblies from 2029. Indicating his government’s intention to pass the bills during the session beginning April 16, Modi wrote, “After extensive deliberations, we have come to the conclusion that the time has come to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Act in its true spirit across the country. It is imperative that the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and assembly elections be held with women’s reservation.”.. will be the fulfillment of an important responsibility towards the women of our country,” the PM wrote in the letter exclusively accessed by TOI.

BJP will need opposition’s support for two-thirds majority on Women’s Bill.

This outreach comes in the backdrop of opposition parties’ resistance to the government’s plans for faster implementation of the quota rather than waiting for the completion of the 2027 census: something that will almost ensure that women’s reservation is not implemented before the 2034 Lok Sabha elections.The BJP will need the support of opposition parties to get the required two-thirds majority to pass the constitutional amendment in Parliament.Emphasizing that the issue of women’s reservation in Parliament and state legislatures is more important than any one party or individual, Modi said, “This is the moment to demonstrate responsibility towards women and future generations. Since all political parties have long expressed the desire to increase women’s representation in politics, this is the right time to convert that aspiration into reality.”The Women’s Quota Bill seeks to delink the implementation of the women’s quota from the findings of the 2027 census and instead proposes to base it on the 2011 census.In his letter, the PM recalled the unanimous support for the women’s quota bill introduced by his government in 2023 and called it “a memorable moment that reflects our unity”.He also addressed the opposition’s objections about the timing of the passage of the bills, reminding that all parties had supported early implementation. He said, “During those discussions (in 2023)… there was a broad consensus that the provisions of this historic law should come into effect as soon as possible. Leaders of many parties were of the view…”As a result of the amendments, the number of seats in the Lok Sabha will increase from 543 to 816, of which 273 will be reserved for women. Earlier this week, the Union Cabinet had approved amendments in which three bills will be introduced: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation Bill and a law to extend reservation for women in Union Territories like Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry, where there are legislative assemblies.In his letter, the PM said that constitutional experts have been consulted on this issue and the government is also in talks with political parties.She stressed that the proposed amendment is a “strong step” towards increasing the participation of women, who constitute half the population.