Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin raised doubts about the central government's push for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, characterizing it as a political tactic aimed at benefiting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in upcoming elections. In a post on X, he questioned the urgency of the proposal, stating, "The timing raises serious suspicion," and suggested it was designed to influence electoral narratives ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections. Stalin criticized the government's lack of transparency regarding the basis for delimitation, questioning whether it would rely on outdated 1971 Census figures or the more recent 2021 Census. He argued that the government's claims of championing Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and social justice are hollow, pointing out that the ₹8 lakh (roughly $9,600 USD) creamy layer ceiling for OBCs has remained unchanged for years. Furthermore, he expressed concern that the proposal could impose significant financial burdens on states, requiring them to expand or rebuild assemblies without proper consultation, which he deemed a direct assault on cooperative federalism. Stalin concluded that this initiative is not genuine empowerment but rather a reengineering of power.