Special Parliament session to revisit delimitation, women’s reservation bills later this month: Sources

New Delhi: The Union government is considering convening a special session of Parliament later this month to introduce constitutional amendment bills concerning delimitation and women’s reservation, according to government sources. The move comes amid Opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The government is reportedly confident of securing sufficient support in the Lok Sabha and is reaching out to Opposition parties to strengthen its position before a possible vote.

Special Parliament session

The proposed session comes months after the government suffered a setback on April 17, when a constitutional amendment bill linked to delimitation and the implementation of women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was defeated in the Lower House.

Although the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has a majority in the current Lok Sabha, a constitutional amendment requires a special majority, including the support of at least two-thirds of members present and voting, subject to the constitutional requirements. Government sources say the Centre is working to bridge the gap and secure the numbers needed to pass the proposed legislation.

According to reports, the government is holding discussions with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to seek its backing. The outreach follows reported political changes in Tamil Nadu after the state elections, including a split between the DMK and Congress and the party’s subsequent exit from the INDIA bloc.

The Centre is also contacting smaller Opposition parties in an effort to build broader support for the bills, sources said.

The Monsoon Session ended on August 13, but Parliament has not yet been prorogued. This leaves the government with the option of calling a special sitting without first summoning a new session.

The schedule is expected to take into account the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, due to be held at Samvidhan Sadan on October 26 and 27.

Sources indicated that Parliamentarians could receive about a week’s notice before the proposed sitting begins. However, the government has not publicly confirmed the dates or finalised the session’s agenda.

The proposed legislation would bring delimitation and women’s reservation back into focus after the earlier setback. Its passage would depend on the government securing the constitutionally required support in Parliament.