Women’s Reservation Bill defeat, loss for all women: Rothrong’

Nagaland BJP Mahila Morcha president Tsachola Rothrong on Thursday asserted that the defeat of the Women’s Reservation Bill was not a loss for BJP alone, but for the entire womanhood of the country.
She was addressing a gathering at the BJP Mahila Jan Akrosh Padyatra organised by the Nagaland BJP Mahila Morcha at DDSC complex.
Rothrong said she was speaking not as a political leader but as a woman, aiming to clarify confusion surrounding the 33% women’s reservation and delimitation. Referring to ongoing debates on social media, she said differing interpretations had created uncertainty and the rally was meant to provide clarity.
Sharing her experience from her time in an NGO, she recalled attending a government meeting as the only woman and noted that while men prioritised infrastructure, women focused on healthcare, education, security and sanitation, underscoring the importance of women’s representation in governance.
Explaining delimitation, she said India’s population had grown from 54 crore in 1971 to around 140 crore, while Lok Sabha seats remained largely unchanged since 1976, stressing the need to increase representation.
Rothrong said three key bills—the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, Delimitation Bill, 2026 and Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026—were introduced on April 16 but failed to pass in the Lok Sabha.
She stated that under Article 334A, implementation of 33% reservation was contingent upon a fresh census and delimitation. Highlighting disparities, she said delimitation would correct imbalances in constituency size and representation.
She attributed delays in census to the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed hope that the 2027 census would enable implementation by the 2029 elections. Noting that only 74 women are MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, she stressed the need for greater representation.
Criticising the opposition, she alleged that blocking the bills had stalled both delimitation and women’s political progress. She added that the reservation would be rotational for 15 years.
Rothrong said Nagaland could gain an additional Lok Sabha seat and increase Assembly seats from 60 to 90, and urged women to continue advocating for their rights.
State BJP president Benjamin Yepthomi reiterated that women’s reservation could be implemented only after delimitation, and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced the bill to ensure women’s representation. He urged women to take ownership of their political future and highlighted that women constitute nearly 48% of India’s population.
Participants expressed disappointment over the bill’s defeat and held placards criticising the Congress.