Women’s Quota Needs Early Delimitation for 2029 Polls: Rijiju
Aug 08, 2026
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has said the delimitation exercise must begin at the earliest if the women’s reservation law is to be implemented in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Rijiju made the remarks in a social media response to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday.
He said the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides for reservation of one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, will come into effect only after the completion of a delimitation exercise based on the latest available Census figures.
The minister said the process of compiling and publishing the Census data is currently underway. He cautioned that the inclusion and publication of caste-based Census data could take considerable time, potentially delaying the implementation of the women’s reservation provision until the 2034 general elections.
Rijiju also said that the proposed implementation methodology has been outlined in the Delimitation Bill, 2026, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha along with proposed constitutional amendments.
He further said the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduced for the purpose, was defeated.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was enacted to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. Its implementation is linked to the completion of delimitation following the publication of the relevant Census figures.
