The Tripura assembly, convened in a special session, unanimously passed a resolution addressed to Parliament in support of the proposed 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill related to the women's reservation bill. The motion, introduced by government chief whip Kalayani Roy, emphasized that the proposed legislation aims to safeguard women's constitutional rights and promote their development, empowerment, and equitable participation in governance.
Wide-Ranging Debate on Women's Representation
The House engaged in extensive discussions involving members from all political parties on the necessity of increasing women's representation in legislative bodies. Chief Minister Manik Saha strongly backed the bill, describing it as vital for inclusive growth and maintaining democratic balance. He also criticized opposition parties for opposing government initiatives and urged a more cooperative and constructive dialogue.
Consensus and Disagreements
While there was broad agreement on reserving 33% of seats for women, sharp differences emerged over the timing and method of implementation. CPM MLA Jitendra Chaudhury and Congress legislator Sudip Roy Barman called for early implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill, which was unanimously passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2023. They alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was linking the bill's rollout to a proposed increase in Lok Sabha seats through delimitation, potentially pushing implementation to 2034.
Chaudhury cited a decline in women's representation, noting that the number of women MPs fell from 78 in the 17th Lok Sabha to 74 in the 18th Lok Sabha, representing approximately 13.6% of total members. Roy Barman stated that the idea of 33% reservation for women was first proposed by the Congress party and claimed that several BJP leaders, including Arun Jaitley, Yogi Adityanath, and Sushma Swaraj, had previously opposed it.
Questions on Implementation Timeline
Roy Barman questioned the gap between the bill's unanimous passage in September 2023 and its notification on April 16, 2026, asking whether the delay reflected a lack of commitment. He accused the ruling party of using women's issues to advance delimitation and raised doubts about implementing the changes without addressing constitutional provisions such as Articles 81 and 82.
BJP legislators defended the approach, arguing that structural reforms, including a possible increase in parliamentary seats, were necessary for effective implementation. They maintained that such changes were essential to deliver lasting institutional reform and meaningful gender equality.
Session Conclusion
The session concluded with members reiterating their support for women's empowerment, even as divisions persisted over the implementation roadmap. The resolution now awaits consideration by Parliament.
