On April 16, Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief of the Samajwadi Party, expressed reservations regarding the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill while affirming the party’s overall support for the legislation. During his interaction with journalists outside Parliament, Yadav highlighted that the bill was being introduced without clarity on the accompanying population data and the inclusion of backward classes.

Yadav remarked, “This Bill is being brought without a population census or including the backward classes. This is being brought for appeasement.” He questioned the timing of the bill’s introduction, challenging the government to clarify which census was being considered in relation to the proposed changes.

Additionally, he raised concerns regarding constituency restructuring, asserting, “Every party supports this, but what about the new map of the constituencies that the ‘Khufiya’ people made?” He further emphasised the need for adequate census data before any delimitation is undertaken.

Census Delays and Caste-Based Enumeration

Speaking earlier in the Lok Sabha, Akhilesh Yadav reiterated the need for updated population data before proceeding with the amendment linked to delimitation. He questioned why the government was eager to implement women’s reservation without first conducting a census. According to him, the Centre was allegedly delaying the census to avoid demands for caste enumeration.

He stated, “The Samajwadi Party is for women’s reservation, but is opposed to the approach via delimitation. They are delaying the census because when it happens, we will ask for the caste census, and then the reservation issue will come and they don’t want it.” Yadav’s claims reflect a broader apprehension regarding the interplay between the census process and sociopolitical reservations.

In response to these criticisms, Union Home Minister Amit Shah firmly dismissed any considerations for religion-based reservation, labelling such proposals as unconstitutional. Shah provided assurances that the 2027 Census is already planned to include caste enumeration, stating, “The Census process has already started across the country, and after that, we will also conduct a caste-based census.”

Concerns Over Political Motives and Legislative Intentions

Akhilesh Yadav further questioned the perceived lack of representation for women within the ruling party, noting that women constitute less than ten per cent of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) legislative assembly members. His colleague and MP Dharmendra Yadav echoed these sentiments, suggesting that the motivations behind the Women’s Reservation Bill may not be entirely transparent.

Dharmendra Yadav described the introduction of the bill as potentially driven by “ulterior motives,” likening it to previous delimitation exercises carried out in Assam and Kashmir. He questioned the government’s true intentions, especially given the previously established bipartisan support for the Women’s Reservation Bill, which was unanimously passed in 2023.

He expressed concern that the government’s use of women’s reservation as a justification for delimitation could manipulate national systems for its benefit. “The opposition is actively opposing this,” he stated, highlighting the complexities involved in the legislative process. The amendments under discussion include The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and The Delimitation Bill, 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for unanimous support for these bills. However, the strong opposition from various parties reflects deep apprehensions regarding the Delimitation Bill and its implications for future electoral maps.

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