Nagaland Congress MP flags delimitation linkage with women’s reservation, seeks review

Nagaland MP S. Supongmeren Jamir raised serious concerns in Parliament over linking the delimitation process with the implementation of women’s reservation, warning that such an approach could delay a crucial reform and raise constitutional issues.

Speaking in the House, Jamir said that while he fully supports the objective of ensuring adequate representation for women in legislative bodies, the implementation of the Women’s Reservation provisions should not be made contingent on delimitation. He stressed that the reform must be carried out “in both letter and spirit” without unnecessary procedural delays.

Referring to constitutional provisions under Articles 82 and 170(3), the MP pointed out that delimitation is scheduled to take place only after the publication of the first Census figures post-2026. He cautioned that any attempt to prematurely link delimitation with women’s reservation could create serious constitutional and procedural complications.

Highlighting concerns specific to the Northeast, Jamir said that political arrangements and ongoing agreements—particularly those involving Nagaland—must be respected before making any changes to parliamentary representation. He warned that any move which overlooks these sensitivities could undermine existing policy commitments of the Government of India and affect the region’s political balance.

The MP also raised concerns over fairness in population-to-representation ratios, stating that the current approach risks creating disparities and injustice for certain regions and communities.

Calling the situation reflective of a lack of urgency in implementing women’s reservation, Jamir said reforms of such national importance should not be left in uncertainty. He urged the government to reconsider its approach and called for the Bill to be withdrawn or revised after wider consultation and detailed examination.

His remarks come amid an ongoing national debate on delimitation and its potential impact on representation, particularly in the northeastern states.