Amid a renewed buzz around the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet clearing the Women’s Reservation Bill, which proposes to grant 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, reports suggest that the rollout of the landmark law could take longer than expected.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the Women’s Reservation Bill is likely to be implemented only after the delimitation process is complete, which may be taken up only in 2026. As per the report, citing a highly placed source privy to the developments, the final rollout may happen only in 2029.

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“The Bill will be brought in the ongoing session but there are many ifs and buts…so the implementation is unlikely before the next Lok Sabha election. Most probably, it will take place only after the delimitation (which is expected to be held in 2026) but the process will begin soon,” The Indian Express quoted a top source as saying.

The Constitution 108th Amendment Bill, 2008 seeks to reserve one-third, or 33 per cent of the total number of seats in Parliament and state legislative Assemblies for women. It was in May 1989 when former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi introduced the Constitution Amendment Bill to provide one-third reservation for women in rural and urban local bodies.

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However, it was only in September 1996, when the then Deve Gowda-led United Front government first introduced the 81st Constitution Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha for the reservation of women in the Parliament. Faced with Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Bill was referred to a joint parliamentary panel. However, the Parliament dissolved in 1996 and the Bill lapsed.

The Bill was again introduced by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1998, 1999, 2002 and 2003, but failed to get it passed. Five years later, the Bill was again introduced by the Manmohan Singh government in 2008, the Union Cabinet approved it in February 2010 and the Rajya Sabha passed it on March 9, 2010.

However, the Bill was never taken up for discussion in the Lok Sabha. It eventually lapsed in the Lower House following its dissolution in 2014. The Women’s Reservation Bill was part of the BJP manifestos in 2014 and in 2019 as well.

While most parties in the INDIA bloc are in favour of women’s reservation, the Samajwadi Party and the RJD want “quota within the quota”, or caste and community-based quotas within the 33 per cent quota.