PM Modi tells women vote in state elections was to punish anti-women parties

In this screengrab from a video posted on April 28, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Mahila Sammelan, in Varanasi. (@NarendraModi/Yt via PTI Photo)

Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that women came out in large numbers to vote in the assembly elections in five states/UTs to teach a lesson to "pariwarvaadi" (dynastic) opposition parties, which were against the entry of more women into legislative bodies.

Addressing an all-woman convention, 'Nari Shakti Vandan', in his parliamentary constituency, he said: "We have seen in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu that sisters have cast record votes. The parties opposing women's reservation have no idea that this vote of the sisters was to punish these anti-women parties."

The PM assured women that he will leave no stone unturned to ensure that their right to reservation in legislative bodies is implemented, as he slammed the opposition parties for joining hands to defeat the Constitution amendment bill on women's reservation.

Parties rooted in dynastic politics feared losing their grip on power if more women from the grassroots entered electoral politics, he said, adding: "Parties doing politics of 'pariwarvaad' and appeasement consider the rise of women in law-making bodies in greater numbers as the biggest threat to their existence."

Citing the construction of the new Parliament building as proof of his govt's intention "to fulfil our commitment" to giving a 33% quota to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, Modi said, "The first bill we tabled in the new Parliament building was also the same, and it was passed."

When the time came to execute that, family-centric parties like Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress and DMK, "like the past 40 years", came together to prevent women from emerging as decision-makers, the PM said.

Mixing Bhojpuri with Hindi, Modi said, "Women are the keys in making a family, society and country, but they are still told - 'tu ka karbu, tu chup raha, tose na ho payi, ka jaroorat hao' (What will you do? You sit silently, you will not be able to do, what is the need?)."