Chandrababu Naidu Accuses Opposition of Betraying Women by Blocking Key Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has strongly criticised the opposition parties, led by Congress, for defeating a crucial constitutional amendment bill aimed at providing 33% reservation for women in legislatures.Naidu described the opposition's action as a "betrayal" against millions of women aspiring for equal representation in Parliament and state assemblies. He accused them of committing a "historical blunder" driven by narrow political motives rather than national interest.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which sought to reserve one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies (effective from the 2029 general elections), failed to pass in the Lok Sabha on Friday. In the voting, the bill received 298 votes in favour and 230 against. However, as a constitutional amendment requires a special majority of two-thirds of the members present and voting, it fell short and was defeated.
Speaking on the development, Chandrababu Naidu took to social media and reposted a tweet by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He slammed the opposition for obstructing women's empowerment and depriving the country of a historic opportunity for gender equality in politics.
"This is not just political opposition; it is a direct betrayal of lakhs of women who dream of equal participation in Parliament," Naidu said. He warned that the nation would remember this moment and hold the opposition accountable.
The Central Government had planned to implement the women's reservation from the 2029 elections onwards, linking it with necessary delimitation exercises to increase the number of seats. The defeat of the bill has now delayed this long-pending reform, which has been a demand for decades.
Naidu's sharp remarks come amid growing political debate over women's political empowerment. Supporters of the bill argue that it would significantly boost women's participation in law-making, while critics raised concerns over its linkage with delimitation and its impact on regional representation.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which sought to reserve one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies (effective from the 2029 general elections), failed to pass in the Lok Sabha on Friday. In the voting, the bill received 298 votes in favour and 230 against. However, as a constitutional amendment requires a special majority of two-thirds of the members present and voting, it fell short and was defeated.
Speaking on the development, Chandrababu Naidu took to social media and reposted a tweet by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He slammed the opposition for obstructing women's empowerment and depriving the country of a historic opportunity for gender equality in politics.
"This is not just political opposition; it is a direct betrayal of lakhs of women who dream of equal participation in Parliament," Naidu said. He warned that the nation would remember this moment and hold the opposition accountable.
The Central Government had planned to implement the women's reservation from the 2029 elections onwards, linking it with necessary delimitation exercises to increase the number of seats. The defeat of the bill has now delayed this long-pending reform, which has been a demand for decades.
Naidu's sharp remarks come amid growing political debate over women's political empowerment. Supporters of the bill argue that it would significantly boost women's participation in law-making, while critics raised concerns over its linkage with delimitation and its impact on regional representation.
