AIADMK's Edappadi K Palaniswami targets Stalin over Women's Reservation Bill

Tiruppur (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 17 : Tamil Nadu LoP and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday held an election campaign in Palladam in Tiruppur district.

During the campaign, Palaniswami criticised Chief Minister MK Stalin over his opposition to women's reservation, and asserted that the AIADMK has long supported a 33 per cent quota for women in legislatures, a proposal now being advanced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The AIADMK, led by Jayalalithaa, voiced that 33% reservation should be introduced in Parliament. Today, Prime Minister Modi is giving the form that 33% reservations should be made in the Legislative Assembly and Parliament to establish women's rights. Stalin has put on a black shirt in protest against that. He said to hoist a black flag in all houses. But I have come around. So far, there is no black flag in any house. Stalin has less strength than the strength of a volunteer," he said.

The Lok Sabha today is set to continue discussion and vote on the passage of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 extending it to Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, and the Delimitation Bill, which is set to increase and redraw Lok Sabha constituencies, increasing them up to 850.

As per the final division, there were a total of 251 AYES and 185 NOES out of the total 333 votes. With the 251 AYES majority, all three Bills, including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, were introduced in the Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu polls are scheduled to be conducted in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.

The main contest is the elections is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes the Indian National Congress, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies.

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