From Demonetisation to Nari Shakti: Modi Disrupts Again

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Political analyst Manish Anand argues the April 16-18 special sitting is driven by Bengal election calculus, not women’s empowerment urgency

By TRH Op-Ed Desk

New Delhi, April 15, 2026 — As India prepares for a three-day special Parliament session beginning tomorrow to amend the Women’s Reservation Act, a sharp debate has erupted — not over the merits of the law itself, but over its timing. And political analyst Manish Anand, in an episode of the YouTube channel The Raisina Hills, has offered what may be the most forensic dissection yet of the BJP’s motivations.

Parliament’s Budget Session has been extended, with a special three-day sitting convened from April 16 to 18, during which amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — the Women’s Reservation Act — are to be introduced for implementation from 2029. If passed, the amendment will increase Lok Sabha seats to 850, reserving 273 seats for women.

But the question Manish Anand poses cuts through the legislative optics entirely. “After examining all arguments, we can arrive at one conclusion — the West Bengal election is the biggest trigger behind calling this special Parliament session,” he told his viewers. “BJP believes that even after 93 lakh votes were cut following Special Intensive Revision, Mamata Banerjee still rules the hearts of women in Bengal. To break that grip, the Women’s Reservation amendment is being pushed through Parliament during the election campaign itself.”

The timing is striking. The first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections falls on April 23 — meaning the special session will have concluded, and the law amended, before a single vote is cast in the state’s opening round. Anand argues this sequence is entirely deliberate.

“Whatever weapon is needed to win an election, it will be used,” he said. “If there was genuine sympathy for women’s political participation, the BJP could have fielded 30% women candidates in recent state elections. Instead, they fielded between 9 and 12% women candidates in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, and Bihar. When I asked a senior BJP leader about this, the answer was: ‘We field whoever looks like they can win, and women didn’t appear winnable in such large numbers.’”

Anand identifies a dual political pressure behind the session’s timing. First, the original 2023 law links implementation to a new census and delimitation — which the opposition argues cannot be completed before 2034 under the original framework. By fast-tracking the amendment using 2011 Census data, the BJP hopes to unlock electoral credit before 2029 rather than letting it sit dormant for a decade.

Second, Anand notes the constitutional arithmetic of a thinly-attended House. Former Home Minister P. Chidambaram has argued in an article that with scores of MPs on the campaign trail in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the two-thirds majority required for a constitutional amendment becomes easier for the BJP to secure. “The special session has been called precisely at a moment when opposition benches will be thinner,” Anand observed.

Political analysts have noted that opposition parties face a difficult choice: voting against the bill during an election season could damage their standing among women voters in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Anand says this is the classic BJP trap being set. “If the opposition objects, BJP will brand them as anti-women. The political vice is deliberately engineered.”

Beyond West Bengal, Anand locates the session within a larger RSS strategic agenda. With Article 370 abrogated, the Ram Mandir consecrated, and the Uniform Civil Code partially implemented, the Sangh’s focus has shifted to demographics in border regions. “If BJP wins West Bengal after already holding Assam, the entire Bangladesh-border belt comes under BJP governance — and that is an RSS priority,” he argued.

Congress has officially opposed the session’s timing, demanding it be deferred until after April 29 when polling concludes, while reiterating that the women’s reservation bill was already passed unanimously 30 months ago.

Anand’s final verdict is unsparing: “This is not just about women’s reservation. This is BJP’s electoral yajna — and West Bengal is the altar.”

Nari Shakti Bill: Parliament Prepares for Historic Gender Reset

FAQ

What is the Women’s Reservation Bill being discussed in Parliament?

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam proposes 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Why is the timing of the bill controversial?

Critics argue the special session has been scheduled just before the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, raising questions about political intent.

What did Manish Anand say about the timing?

Manish Anand suggested that the timing is strategically aligned with electoral considerations, particularly to influence women voters in West Bengal.

How will the amendment change Parliament?

If passed, Lok Sabha seats could increase to 850, with 273 seats reserved for women.

What is the opposition’s stance?

Parties like Indian National Congress have supported women’s reservation but opposed the timing of the session, calling for it to be held after elections.

Why is West Bengal politically significant?

West Bengal remains a key battleground between Bharatiya Janata Party and All India Trinamool Congress, with strong female voter participation influencing outcomes.