‘Serious consequences’: Mallikarjun Kharge tells CWC meeting that government’s women quota move violates poll code

New Delhi: President of Congress Malikajun Hager The Narendra Modi-led government’s proposal to amend the women’s reservation law and expand the number of seats in Parliament may violate the Model Code of Conduct and have “serious consequences”, it was claimed on Friday. He also insisted that the opposition would be united in this regard.Addressing a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Haq said the issue required deeper consultations and the opposition would respond collectively. “So, after this meeting, we will work out a collective strategy by discussing these issues with our opposition colleagues. We will move forward united,” Haq was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The Congress president also questioned the timing of the special parliamentary session scheduled from April 16 to 18, claiming that it was aimed at political gain. “The Modi government’s sole purpose of convening the parliamentary session is to ensure political advantage and is keen to pass the constitutional amendments as soon as possible,” Haq said.He noted that the proposed amendments could have a significant impact on India’s electoral system and would therefore require “very in-depth deliberation”. “Based on the information we have received so far, the government wants to implement reservation for women from the 2029 elections… It wants to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816,” Kharg said.He expressed concerns about the demarcation exercise, adding, “This demarcation proposal will have serious consequences. Therefore, the demarcation needs to be considered very in-depth.”Haq further claimed that the government ignored the opposition’s demand to hold an all-party meeting after the West Bengal polls. “This is a breach of the Model Code of Conduct… We do not want [the Election Commission] These violations are even noticed,” he said.The meeting, attended by senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, discussed the government’s proposals on women’s reservation, delimitation and the broader political context ahead of the upcoming elections.“Congress remains firmly committed to ensuring women empowerment and social justice,” Rahul Gandhi posted on Facebook.The government is expected to introduce a bill during the special session to implement the Women’s Reservation Act before the 2029 general elections and increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha, with a large portion reserved for women.