Women's quota bill tabled, Cong dubs it 2024 'election jumla

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: Even as the BJP led NDA government on Tuesday introduced a constitutional amendment bill reserving 33 per cent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, the opposition termed it an "election jumla" with leaders contending it doesn't account for reservation for OBC communities and that it will only be effective at the earliest by the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.

The Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam to provide 33 per cent reservation is unlikely to be in force for the next Lok Sabha elections in 2024 as the reservation will come into effect only after a census and delimitation exercise are completed.

Calling the bill a "huge betrayal of hopes of women", the Congress said that according to the Centre, the reservation will be effective only after census and delimitation exercise are conducted.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party has always supported the women's bill.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah however slammed the Congress, for showing only "tokenism" on the bill and said the party has never been serious about women's reservation in legislative bodies.