BJP responsible for failure of Women’s Reservation Bill: KTR

BRS working president KT Rama Rao accused the BJP of deliberately stalling the Women’s Reservation Bill by linking it to delimitation, despite broad political support. He also pressed for the long-pending increase in Telangana Assembly seats under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Friday held the BJP solely responsible for the failure of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. 

He accused the party of complicating the issue by deliberately linking it to delimitation and demanded bringing a fresh Bill without further complications, to ensure its implementation in the upcoming elections.

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Reacting to the Bill’s defeat, Rama Rao said there was broad political support for women’s reservations, including from the BRS, but the BJP’s political strategy ensured it did not pass. He argued that the reservation could have been implemented immediately within the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats, without additional conditions.

“The BJP deliberately tied the Bill to delimitation, creating avoidable hurdles and denying women their rightful representation,” he said. 

He said the move was politically motivated and aimed at deferring implementation, while attempting to use the issue for political gains.

The BRS working president also raised concerns that linking reservations to delimitation could adversely affect southern States. He said several parties raised concerns over reduced representation for the southern States, which were ignored. “This was a lost opportunity for meaningful women’s empowerment,” he added.

Calling delimitation a sensitive and complex issue, he urged the Centre to hold wider consultations before proceeding further. He said unilateral decisions on such matters could have long-term consequences. He hoped that the developments in Parliament served as a lesson for the BJP against pushing unilateral decisions on sensitive national issues.

He demanded that the BJP bring a fresh Women’s Reservation Bill without linking it to delimitation and ensure its implementation from the next elections. “If the Centre is committed, it should act immediately,” he said.

On the occasion, Rama Rao also pressed for long-pending assurance to increase Assembly seats in Telangana under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. 

He questioned why similar measures were taken in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam, while ignoring Telangana. He urged the Centre to introduce a separate Bill in the current session to enhance Assembly seats in Telangana before 2028, without linking it to nationwide delimitation.