Sonia Gandhi NEW DELHI: When the opposition politicians met in Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber the day after, the attendance was full and the mood jubilant. And leaders lauded the INDIA bloc parties for standing together to defeat the BJP govt’s Constitution amendment bill on delimitation. The opposition believes that the BJP has been given a legislative jolt that hurts its carefully crafted aura of invincibility, built over the years by taking panchayat polls as seriously as the parliamentary elections. The opposition is confident that BJP’s bid to paint the rival parties as anti-women will not fly, given that the opposition put its argument that it is about “delimitation and gerrymandering” unambiguously before the people in the run-up to the Parliament sitting and then in the two days of Lok Sabha debate. A casual remark from Congress matriarch Sonia Gandhi right at the outset – “why is everyone so quiet” – triggered a banter that led to member after member giving their take on the “victory” and its implications. A participant told TOI, “The bloc felt invigorated. There was much jubilation because the coordination and cohesion among allies have been re-established.” Besides Sonia, the full house saw Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), Supriya Sule (NCP), Mahua Maji (JMM), N K Premachandran (RSP), Sandosh Kumar (CPI), K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Gaurav Gogoi, Manickam Tagore, Naseer Hussain (Congress), TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Mian Altaf Ahmad (NC) among others. The opposition believes while it has given a shock to the BJP, it should now be careful to keep up the messaging that the defeated bill pertained to delimitation that would have hurt the country. It was specifically suggested by many that they should avoid the BJP’s trap of it being about women’s reservation. Since many INDIA bloc parties are in election campaigns and also fighting against each other, it was suggested they should hold public events separately to explain the issue to people. The alliance decided to eschew any joint show on the subject. As part of neutralising the BJP’s campaign, the opposition will now press for the implementation of the 2023 Act – Nari Vandan Adhiniyam. That it was notified for implementation this week in the middle of the debate in Parliament has only put the Act in focus. As part of the pressure, the opposition parties may write to PM Modi to operationalise the law for implementation from 2029 elections.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCong, TMC, DMK Guilty’, PM Modi Blasts Oppn For Blocking Women Reservation BillIndia Summons Iran Envoy Summoned After Ships Targeted In Strait of Hormuz | WatchWomen’s Reservation Amendment Fails In Lok Sabha, Delimitation Bill Put On HoldYogi Adityanath Alleges ‘Identity Crisis’ In Bengal, Targets TMC Over GovernanceBJP Leaders Protest Outside Rahul’s Residence Over Women Quota Bill; Hema Malini, Bansuri Lead10th Indian Vessel Crosses Strait Of Hormuz Since Conflict Began”Women Were Being Used” Tharoor Backs Women’s Reservation, Warns On Delimitation Issue: “You’re Firing… After Clearance!” India-Flagged Ship’s Last Words Before Hormuz TurnbackNation Awaits PM Modi’s Address As Women Bill Fails And Hormuz Crisis Escalates‘Not A Failure Of The Government’: Why Rijiju Is Blaming The Opposition For Women’s Bill Defeat123Photostories5 watches rich men with old money wear6 healthy leaves you should add to your daily dietAkshaya Tritiya 2026: Buy these 5 things for good fortune5 grand palaces that are now world-famous museums7 factors driving real estate growth in India’s non-metro cities7 foods in your kitchen that actually came from PersiaAlia-Ranbir to Saif-Kareena: 5 celebrity weddings that completely rewrote the Indian shaadi style rulebook’The Devil Wears Prada 2′ to ‘The Odyssey,’ and more: Hollywood’s biggest 2026 Summer releases10 iconic biryani varieties in India you probably haven’t tried yetThings you should NEVER Do on Akshaya Tritiya based on your birth date123Hot PicksIran warDelimitation Bill DefeatPurple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingIPL Orange Cap 2026VijayPM Modi LiveWorld Largest EconomySue BirdIce SpicePahalgam Pony Wallah StoryWomen Quota BillE Coli Smuggling CaseErika Kirk Event
NEW DELHI: When the opposition politicians met in Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber the day after, the attendance was full and the mood jubilant. And leaders lauded the INDIA bloc parties for standing together to defeat the BJP govt’s Constitution amendment bill on delimitation. The opposition believes that the BJP has been given a legislative jolt that hurts its carefully crafted aura of invincibility, built over the years by taking panchayat polls as seriously as the parliamentary elections. The opposition is confident that BJP’s bid to paint the rival parties as anti-women will not fly, given that the opposition put its argument that it is about “delimitation and gerrymandering” unambiguously before the people in the run-up to the Parliament sitting and then in the two days of Lok Sabha debate. A casual remark from Congress matriarch Sonia Gandhi right at the outset – “why is everyone so quiet” – triggered a banter that led to member after member giving their take on the “victory” and its implications. A participant told TOI, “The bloc felt invigorated. There was much jubilation because the coordination and cohesion among allies have been re-established.” Besides Sonia, the full house saw Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), Supriya Sule (NCP), Mahua Maji (JMM), N K Premachandran (RSP), Sandosh Kumar (CPI), K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Gaurav Gogoi, Manickam Tagore, Naseer Hussain (Congress), TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Mian Altaf Ahmad (NC) among others. The opposition believes while it has given a shock to the BJP, it should now be careful to keep up the messaging that the defeated bill pertained to delimitation that would have hurt the country. It was specifically suggested by many that they should avoid the BJP’s trap of it being about women’s reservation. Since many INDIA bloc parties are in election campaigns and also fighting against each other, it was suggested they should hold public events separately to explain the issue to people. The alliance decided to eschew any joint show on the subject. As part of neutralising the BJP’s campaign, the opposition will now press for the implementation of the 2023 Act – Nari Vandan Adhiniyam. That it was notified for implementation this week in the middle of the debate in Parliament has only put the Act in focus. As part of the pressure, the opposition parties may write to PM Modi to operationalise the law for implementation from 2029 elections.