Stormy winter session of Parliament on cards in Dec

New Delhi: The winter session of Parliament is likely to begin in the first week of December, with the proposed delimitation-linked women’s reservation bill emerging as the government’s biggest legislative priority amid an increasingly confrontational political atmosphere over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The Modi government is keen to push through the Constitution amendment bill, which seeks to expand the Lok Sabha’s strength from the existing 543 seats to a maximum of 850 through delimitation, paving the way for the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures ahead of the 2029 general elections.

Sources familiar with the discussions said that the first week of December was emerging as the likely window for the session, with the possible dates discussed at the highest levels of the government.

However, securing the numbers for the crucial legislation could prove challenging.

The bill requires a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, or 361 votes in the present 543-member House.

With three vacancies, the House has 540 members at present.

The ruling NDA has 320 members and would need the support of Opposition parties to cross the threshold.

Opposition parties, which have stepped up their campaign against the SIR and are demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, are expected to take their protests to Parliament, potentially setting the stage for another stormy session.