Nagaland: ‘Very sad for women’

Nagaland MP Phangnon on Constitutional Amendment Bill defeat in Lok Sabha

Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 20 

Nagaland’s Rajya Sabha MP S Phangnon Konyak today expressed dismay over the defeat of Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha.

“It is very sad for women that we have lost one more chance for representation in the parliament,” she said while addressing a press conference here today State BJP head office organized by the Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha.

The press conference had a theme titled ‘Attack on women’s right  due to negativity of Congress & Opposition.’ 

If we want to progress, we need voices from all sections of society, especially when women from half the population, the MP said, adding that “when they are not well represented, then we can't have a good governance and political equality.”Konyak said it is high time for everyone to come together to ensure that women's voices are heard in politics.

She recalled that the Central Government introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha: The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, The Delimitation Bill, 2026 and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026

She pointed out that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam provides that reservation for women will be implemented based on delimitation after the Census conducted post-2026.

If the Government had waited for the Census and subsequent delimitation, women would not have been able to benefit from 33 percent reservation even in the 2029 general elections as the census and subsequent delimitation period takes time, the MP claimed.

She stated that in order to ensure timely benefits to half the population, it was considered necessary to delink implementation of the Act from this condition. She said that if these Bills had been passed, it would have enabled women to receive 33 percent reservation in the Lok Sabha as early as the 2029 general elections.

Konyak noted that the limit on seats in Lok Sabha was set at 550 in 1976. Stating that in 1971, the population of India was 54 Crore and now it is 140 Crore, Konyak said it is important to increase seats to 850 in Lok Sabha. 

On the new delimitation proposal, she said that all states would see uniform 50 percent increase in seats. The increase in seats was proposed uniformly across states, their proportional representation would remain unchanged or slightly improve, the MP stated. She said that the process of delimitation ensures proportional reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. She said that implementing reservation requires delimitation of seats.

Unacceptable: Dr M Chuba Ao
Dr M Chuba Ao, National Vice president BJP and Chairperson MARCOFED, Nagaland, said that the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill and the Delimitation Bill failed to pass “because the INDI alliance deliberately withheld the two-thirds majority needed for a Constitutional Amendment.”

He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always put Nari Shakti at the centre of governance. Stating that there are only 14% women in Lok Sabha (75 out of 543) and just 9% women MLAs in State Assemblies, Dr. Chuba said “This is unacceptable in a country where women form half the population.”

He said that the bills failure to pass was a “calculated move by the INDI Alliance.” For 15 years before 2014, Congress-led governments repeatedly introduced and then killed the Women's Reservation Bill in the name of "consensus", he said.

“While claiming to be pro-women, they disrupted Parliament, wasted the session, and denied 65 crore sisters their rightful place in decision-making,” he said.

They fear that empowered women voters will reject their dynastic and divisive politics, he added. Ao said that the 2023 Act was historic, but its implementation was deliberately linked to a future census and delimitation to avoid any political controversy at that time.

Now, with fresh data available and the next general elections approaching in 2029, the NDA is fulfilling its promise by expediting delimitation, expanding the House so no one loses representation and ensuring the 33% reservation becomes reality from the very next Lok Sabha, he claimed.

He said that the NDA will not stop and will take this issue to the people.

“We will fight in Parliament, in the streets, and in every election till every daughter of India gets her due 33% share of power,” Dr. Chuba said.