Last Updated on April 12, 2026 10:30 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Staff Reporter / New Delhi
The INDIA bloc is set to escalate its offensive against the Centre by pushing for the inclusion of an OBC quota within the Women’s Reservation Act, a move that could open a fresh political flashpoint ahead of key Assembly elections.
Sources in the Congress said the issue has been discussed internally and is likely to be raised jointly by Opposition parties, even as no formal announcement has yet been made. A meeting of INDIA bloc leaders on April 15 is expected to firm up a coordinated strategy to press the government on extending reservation benefits to women from Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
The demand threatens to sharpen the debate around the Nari Vandana Shakti Act, with the Congress accusing the government of timing its push to coincide with elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu for electoral advantage rather than substantive reform.
While the Constitution currently provides legislative reservation only for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), the question of an OBC sub-quota was left unresolved when the women’s reservation law was passed with broad consensus.
Several Opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, DMK and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, have long backed OBC inclusion. With the INDIA bloc now rallying around the issue, the government could face a united Opposition challenge in Parliament.
The pressure may also come from within the NDA. Allies such as the Janata Dal (United) and the Telugu Desam Party have historically supported OBC reservations, with the JDU previously advocating a sub-quota within the women’s reservation framework.
Beyond politics, the numbers could pose a hurdle. The government lacks the two-thirds majority required for a constitutional amendment, making Opposition support critical and raising the likelihood of a contentious standoff in the upcoming session.
With Assembly polls looming in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the OBC quota demand could put the NDA in a politically delicate position, turning the women’s reservation debate into a high-stakes electoral issue.