Women’s reservation Bill rushed by govt. to sidestep caste count, says Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused the Union government of rushing through the women’s reservation Bill without adequate consultation, alleging that the move is aimed at ensuring that the ongoing caste count – to be undertaken as part of the 2027 Census – is not factored into the implementation of the 33% reservation for women ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha election.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Yadav questioned the basis for proceeding with delimitation without updated population data. “Why has the government decided to have delimitation without the latest Census data? After agreeing to conduct a caste count, why is the government not accounting for it while bringing in far-reaching legislation such as the women’s reservation Bill?” he said.