Revanth Reddy Slams BJP Over Bill Defeat, Calls Women’s Quota a “Pretext”

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, stating that it reflected the rejection of the party’s alleged “conspiratorial intentions” by the people, rather than a victory for the Opposition.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Saturday, he accused the Centre of attempting to amend the Constitution under the guise of women’s reservation , with the intent to dilute reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes . He referred to the failure of the Bill linked to delimitation and seat expansion , which sought to implement 33 per cent reservation for women by 2029 .

Questioning the government’s approach, Revanth Reddy said that if the BJP was genuinely committed to women’s reservation, a simple amendment would have sufficed. “Why link it to delimitation?” he asked. He alleged that the BJP’s target of “400 seats” in the 2024 elections was aimed at amending the Constitution framed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to remove reservations. “People gave them only 240 seats , rejecting their intentions once again,” he said.

Drawing from epics, he compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bhima from the Mahabharata , saying that despite his strength, Bhima could not lift Hanuman’s tail due to arrogance. “Similarly, the people of the country stood like Hanuman against Modi, and his arrogance was defeated,” he remarked. Referring to the Ramayana , he alleged that just as Ravana used the golden deer as a trap to abduct Sita , the government was using women’s reservation as a lure to weaken the Constitution.

Rejecting BJP’s allegations that the Congress opposed women’s empowerment, Revanth Reddy challenged the Centre to introduce a “pure women’s reservation Bill” without linking it to delimitation or seat expansion. He said the INDIA bloc would support and ensure its passage.

“This is not a prolonged process. It can begin within 36 to 40 hours ,” he said, adding that all necessary data is readily available. He noted that voter data with the Election Commission of India and the 2011 Census figures could enable completion of the process within six months .

Based on the 2009 delimitation , he said around 181 seats across Parliament and State Assemblies could be reserved for women. If incorporating OBC reservation required more time, the basic Bill could be passed first and amended later, he suggested.

Concern over impact on southern states

Revanth Reddy expressed concern that delimitation could widen disparities between northern and southern states. Citing figures, he said Kerala currently has 20 seats while Uttar Pradesh has 80 . A 50 per cent increase would raise them to 30 and 120 seats respectively , widening the gap from 60 to 90 seats .

He warned that any formula weakening southern states would not be accepted and urged the Centre not to undermine the federal spirit for short-term political gains.

Highlighting the Congress party’s record, he said women were granted voting rights at Independence and have held the country’s highest offices under its leadership. He also noted that 50 per cent reservation in local bodies was implemented during Congress rule, with significant expansion of opportunities for women during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi .

At the same time, he criticised the BJP, founded in 1980 , for not having appointed a woman as its national president or to key organisational posts.

Reiterating the unity of the INDIA bloc , Revanth Reddy said it would fully support a genuine women’s reservation law. “ For us, the nation comes first, then the people, and then the party. We will oppose any attempt that weakens the country, ” he asserted.