Delimitation aimed at dividing votes, not empowering women: Kharge
Mallikarjun Kharge alleged delimitation is being misused to divide opposition votes, not empower women. He criticised Narendra Modi over delays in implementing reservation and backed M. K. Stalin ahead of April 23 polls
Hosur (Tamil Nadu): AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said that the Opposition opposed the proposed delimitation exercise as it was aimed at “dividing votes and ruling”. He asserted that it was being wrongly projected as a women’s reservation measure for political gain. Also, it was not empowering women, he added.
Addressing a poll rally in Hosur near the Karnataka border, which has a sizeable Kannada-and Tamil-speaking population, Kharge said the move sought to arbitrarily alter constituencies to weaken Opposition parties, and credited the people of Tamil Nadu, its MPs and Chief Minister M K Stalin for backing efforts to stall it.
“It is not a women’s reservation bill; it is a delimitation law. They tried to divide the votes of Opposition parties and rule,” he said, and added that the alliance had secured a historic victory against the delimitation attempt.
Switching between English and Kannada, Kharge praised Stalin as a man of work who fights for self-respect and leads without blind belief in any religion. He said Stalin carried forward the legacy of leaders like Periyar E V Ramasamy, C N Annadurai and M Karunanidhi rooted in dignity, rational thought and equality.
Invoking the ideological lineage of the Congress, he said Jawaharlal Nehru believed in scientific thinking and rationality, and argued that both Dravidian and Congress traditions rejected blind faith and upheld truth and justice.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge questioned the delay in implementing the women’s reservation law passed in 2023. “This law was passed in 2023. Why did you not implement it? He kept quiet for 30 months, and today he is saying that the Congress, DMK and other opposition parties are against women,” he said.
Kharge asserted that the Opposition supported women’s empowerment, stating, “We are for women, we are for democracy, we are for justice, and we stand for public justice and equality.” The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha also reiterated support for one-third reservation for women.
Accusing the Prime Minister of pursuing a “divisive social order”, Kharge said, “He stands for the Chaturvarna system, against Shudras and against women.” Explaining the party’s stand, he said delimitation would involve “arbitrarily shifting regions, taking one area and attaching it to another district.” This exercise was intended to fragment Opposition vote bases, he alleged.
The senior Congress leader also accused the Centre of failing on key promises, saying demonetisation, job creation, doubling farmers’ income and controlling inflation had not delivered results. “The name of the one who failed to do all this is Modi — the king of lies.” He contrasted this with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, noting his nationwide outreach. “Rahul Gandhi walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir whereas Modi sits in one place and does Pooja. This will not uplift the country,” he said.
Kharge said the Opposition’s campaign under Stalin and Gandhi was aimed at protecting democracy.
The Congress chief noted that the DMK government, with Congress support, had ensured welfare schemes reached the poor and implemented guarantees effectively. He urged voters to choose the DMK-led alliance in the elections.
Calling for unity among alliance partners, including the DMK, Congress, CPI, CPI(M) and others, he said they were “united like 10 fingers of a hand and fighting together under Stalin’s leadership”. “Don’t think that you (Stalin) are alone, the entire country is standing behind you,” he said. The Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will be held on April 23 and the results will be declared on May 4.
Maintaining that recent political developments marked a turning point, Kharge said it was “Modi’s first defeat in 12 years”. In a major setback to the BJP-led Central government, a Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures from 2029, along with increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, was defeated on Friday.
