Amaravati, April 18 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Friday that by blocking the Womenâ??s Reservation Bill, the Congress-led Opposition has denied India a historic step towards womenâ??s empowerment.â??

â??This is not just political obstruction, it is a betrayal of millions of women who deserve equal voice and rightful representation in Parliament. The nation will remember,â?? he posted on â??Xâ??.â??

In another post, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president said that by defeating the Delimitation and Constitutional Amendment Bill, the Opposition parties have done a great disservice to the nation.â??

He wrote that with the freeze under Article 81 set to end after the first Census conducted post-2026, the forthcoming census exercise will reset seat distribution purely on population, potentially leading to a steep decline in representation for Southern, North-Eastern, and smaller states.â??

Naidu added that the National Democratic Allianceâ??s proposal was a sincere effort to preserve federal balance, protect the voice of Southern, North-Eastern, and smaller states, and ensure 33 per cent representation for women. He said it recognised that states which have performed well on key development indicators should not be penalised in the democratic structure.

â??It is unfortunate that political agendas have prevailed over long-term national interest. Those celebrating this outcome must introspect; we have lost an opportunity to secure a fair and constitutional safeguard for rightful representation,â?? he noted.â??

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan slammed the Opposition parties, saying they have squandered a golden opportunity to enhance womenâ??s empowerment within legislative bodies.â??

He said that had the Opposition also supported the Womenâ??s Reservation Bill, they too would have earned respect. He expressed hope that, in the days to come, women will secure their rightful place in the legislature.â??

As Jana Sena Party president, Kalyan added, â??As a partner in the National Democratic Alliance, the Jana Sena Party welcomes the initiative taken by the Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in bringing this Bill before the Lok Sabha. Had this Bill been passed, women across the length and breadth of India would have rejoiced immensely.â??â??

/IANS