Nagaland Congress accuses Centre of politicising women’s reservation issue

S Supongmeren Jamir, Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland and president of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee, on Tuesday alleged that the BJP-led central government is attempting to link women’s reservation with a broader delimitation exercise aimed at influencing the 2029 parliamentary elections.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan in Kohima, Jamir said the opposition INDIA bloc had opposed the government’s move in Parliament, contending that the proposed implementation of women’s reservation had been tied to delimitation despite constitutional and procedural constraints.

Referring to the 106th Constitutional Amendment enacted in 2023, he said provisions under Articles 239AA, 330A and 332A already outline the framework for reservation of seats for women. He alleged that the Centre was using the issue to advance delimitation plans that could expand the strength of the Lok Sabha from 816 to 850 seats in a manner favourable to the ruling party.

Jamir noted that the amendment links implementation of women’s reservation to the first census conducted after 2026 and the subsequent publication of relevant data, making immediate delimitation unfeasible. He further alleged that the government had introduced the issue despite lacking the required two-thirds majority for constitutional changes, describing it as a political strategy aimed at placing the opposition in a difficult position.

He said the INDIA bloc had conveyed in Parliament that if the Centre was committed to implementing women’s reservation, it should bring forward a measure ensuring its rollout by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. According to him, the opposition would continue to press the government to introduce such legislation during the upcoming monsoon session.

Responding to allegations by state BJP leaders that the Congress opposed women’s reservation, Jamir said the ruling party was, in fact, delaying implementation while using the issue for political advantage, particularly in the context of elections in several states.

He also questioned the BJP’s commitment to women’s empowerment, asking whether the party would support women candidates for top constitutional positions such as Prime Minister and Speaker.

On the implications for Nagaland, Jamir said both delimitation and women’s reservation raise specific concerns for smaller states, including the manner in which 33 per cent reservation would be accommodated without affecting existing political representation. He added that northeastern states such as Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Assam would also need to assess the implications in light of existing political arrangements and negotiated settlements.

Jamir said that while women’s reservation has been implemented in urban local bodies, efforts must be made to ensure adequate representation for women from Nagaland in higher legislative institutions, including Parliament.

He appealed to all political parties, including the BJP, to avoid politicising the issue and instead work collectively in the interest of the state. Leaders of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee reiterated that women’s reservation should not be linked to delimitation or political strategy and urged the Centre to take concrete steps to ensure implementation of the 33 per cent quota before the 2029 general elections.