The Congress-led INDIA bloc is mulling seeking a sub-quota for OBC women in the proposed amendments to the women’s reservation Act.According to sources aware of details, the issue has been discussed internally within the alliance and is likely to be raised jointly by the Opposition parties before the government during the three-day session of Parliament, which is set to begin from April 16. They said a coordinated strategy is likely to be firmed up in this regard during the meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders on April 15.Meanwhile, as per information available with this newspaper, the government is likely to introduce three bills on April 16, namely a Constitution Amendment Bill to tweak the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act, a Delimitation Bill-2026 and a separate law to extend the women’s reservation quota to union territories.The government will try and club the first two Bills as both seek to amend the Constitution. For getting these constitution amendment Bills passed, the government requires the support of 362 MPs in the Lok Sabha. In the Rajya Sabha, it will need the backing of 164 MPs.However, according to the current strength, the ruling NDA has 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha, and 141 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. With its numbers falling short of the required figures, the government may find it tough to get the proposed legislations passed.The INDIA bloc’s demand is likely to throw a spanner in the debate around the proposed amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam or the Women’s Reservation Act.The Congress has also accused the government of timing its push for the amendments to coincide with the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, for electoral advantage rather than for any 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 in Parliament in 2023.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 as the BJP’s allies like the Janata Dal (United) and the Telugu Desam Party have historically supported OBC reservations, with the JD (U) previously advocating a sub-quota within the women’s reservation framework.Besides, as the government lacks the two-thirds majority required for a Constitutional amendment, it makes the Opposition’s support critical. The issue is also likely to spark a contentious standoff in the upcoming Parliament session.With the Assembly polls due in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the OBC sub quota demand could put the NDA in a politically delicate position, turning the women’s reservation debate into a high-stakes electoral issue.