Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: PM Modi Saturday made his first comments on the govt’s move to implement the women’s reservation law from the next Lok Sabha polls, as he asked women to put pressure on the opposition to ensure related bills are passed in Parliament unopposed, while rejecting as a lie the charge that southern states will lose out in delimitation due to their success in controlling population.Addressing an election rally in Thiruvalla in Kerala, he said Parliament’s budget session would reconvene for three days from April 16 so that a law for 33% quota for women in Lok Sabha and assemblies enacted by his govt is implemented from the 2029 LS polls. Modi also confirmed the delimitation exercise to increase the seats of legislatures by the same number that will be set aside for women.PM Modi said, “People are spreading the lie that seats will fall where population is declining. We want Parliament’s stamp on a law that ensures Lok Sabha seats do not decline in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa or Telangana.”The PM acknowledged their good work in controlling population.Govt’s proposal is to increase the number of seats in legislatures by about 50% — number of LS constituencies will be upped to 816 from the current 543 — so that the additional number is allotted exclusively for women, said Modi but without giving out exact numbers.“You should tell members of Congress and LDF that these laws should be passed unopposed… Women should pressure all political parties,” he told voters in CPM-led LDF governed Kerala. He said, “I also appeal to them that this right of our mothers and sisters is pending for 40 years. It should not remain so in the 2029 polls.”Modi noted that his govt had called Congress for a meeting over the issue and has spoken to parties from opposition INDIA bloc. While some opposition parties attended the meeting spearheaded by home minister Amit Shah, Congress, TMC and Left have kept away.Congress and Left have called for an all-party meeting, an unlikely possibility with Parliament set to meet mid-month, a week ahead of assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.Kerala is going to the polls on April 9, and BJP believes that its move for the women’s quota implementation will help it deepen traction with women voters in the three states, which have been a stronghold of opposition parties.
