Kathmandu— Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday joined a growing political dispute between Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi regarding the implementation of women’s reservation in Indian legislatures. Chidambaram called for the immediate delinking of the reservation mandate from upcoming census and delimitation exercises, alleging that the current legislative framework contains a ‘hidden agenda’ that delays the rights promised under the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.

Dispute Over Implementation Timelines

The political friction intensified following an exchange on social media between Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Rahul Gandhi. Rijiju argued that the Women’s Reservation Bill cannot be implemented before the 2034 general elections because it is contingent upon a delimitation exercise tied to post-2026 census data. He noted that the process of publishing census figures, particularly with the inclusion of caste-based data, could cause substantial delays.

In response, Rahul Gandhi has called for the 2023 Act to be implemented without any attached conditions. Gandhi has questioned the central government’s decision to link the legislation to the delimitation of seats in the Lok Sabha, advocating for the immediate application of the law to ensure women’s representation in the next elections.

Allegations Of Hidden Agendas

P Chidambaram reinforced the Congress party’s stance, asserting that the government’s decision to link reservation to delimitation was ‘unnecessary and mischievous.’ He argued that if the linkage were removed, women’s reservation could be implemented in time for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

‘Mr Kiren Rijiju is wrong,’ Chidambaram stated in an X post, noting that the reservation is already provided for under the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023. He suggested that the government’s insistence on waiting for the delimitation exercise reflects a strategic attempt to delay the mandate.

The legislative impasse remains centered on whether the 33 per cent reservation for women can be enacted independently of the proposed Delimitation Bill 2026.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.