Kavitha Blames BJP and Congress for Women’s Reservation Bill Defeat, Calls It ‘Black Day’

New Delhi, April 2026 : K. Kavitha, president of Telangana Jagruthi, on Saturday criticised both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress for what she termed a “blame game” following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha.

Reacting to the development, Kavitha described the day as a setback for women’s empowerment in India. “In the history of India, yesterday will be remembered as a black day for women empowerment in this nation,” she said, expressing disappointment over the failure of the Women’s Reservation Bill to secure the required majority.

Holding both the ruling and opposition parties accountable, she said that the political exchange of accusations has overshadowed the real issue. “The BJP is blaming the Congress, and the Congress is blaming the BJP. But the point is that the women of this nation have seriously lost out on a long-fought battle,” she remarked.

Kavitha highlighted the historical contribution of women to India’s development, including their participation in the freedom movement, but noted that their representation in legislative bodies has remained disproportionately low. She argued that despite decades of discussion, meaningful progress on ensuring adequate representation for women in Parliament and state assemblies has been repeatedly delayed.

Taking a critical view of past and present governments, she alleged that both major parties have failed women at different points in time. Referring to earlier attempts, she claimed that the Congress had failed to deliver on women’s reservation in 2006, and added that the BJP has now repeated a similar pattern. “After 20 years, in 2026, women have once again been let down,” she said.

Kavitha also criticised the repeated linking of the Women’s Reservation Bill with other processes such as census exercises and delimitation. According to her, such conditions have consistently stalled the implementation of the policy. “It is unfortunate that the Bill is always tied to one issue or another — census, caste census, or delimitation. Meanwhile, women continue to be blocked from getting their due,” she said.

Despite the setback, she urged women across the country to take initiative and actively participate in politics. Encouraging them to contest elections regardless of the odds, she said, “We need to stand on our own feet and empower ourselves. Women must come forward and contest elections without worrying about the outcome.”

Meanwhile, other opposition leaders also voiced their concerns. Mahua Moitra of the All India Trinamool Congress said that the Women’s Reservation Bill passed in 2023 was expected to be implemented during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but that did not happen. She alleged that the current proposal was effectively a delimitation exercise presented in a different form.

Similarly, Dimple Yadav of the Samajwadi Party criticised the government, accusing it of failing to deliver on promises related to women’s security, employment, and social justice. She further alleged that the issue of reservation had not adequately addressed the needs of marginalised groups, including OBC, minority, and Dalit women.

The debate surrounding the Women’s Reservation Bill has intensified political tensions, with leaders across parties continuing to trade charges. As the controversy unfolds, the issue of women’s representation remains at the centre of the national political discourse.