The Centre is preparing to convene a special session of Parliament to push through a Constitution amendment Bill aimed at implementing women's reservation, with government sources expressing confidence that the legislation will clear the Lok Sabha with a margin of 15 to 18 votes.
While the government believes it has the numbers needed to secure the amendment, the dates and duration of the proposed sitting have not yet been disclosed. The bill requires a two-thirds majority, translating into 361 votes in the 543-member Lok Sabha, which currently has 3 vacant seats.
The proposed legislation seeks to expand the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to a maximum of 850 seats through delimitation. This would facilitate the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies.
Fresh push after earlier setback
The latest move comes after the government's previous attempt to pass a similar Constitution amendment bill failed to secure the required support in the Lok Sabha on April 17, during a special sitting of the Budget Session.
Speculation about another parliamentary sitting has continued as the Monsoon Session, which was adjourned sine die on August 13, has still not been prorogued. It has now remained unprorogued for 91 days, surpassing the previous record of 87 days set in 2008.
An extended sitting of the existing session can be called with a minimum notice of 2 days. However, convening an entirely new session requires at least 14 days' notice.
Seat expansion proposal to address southern states' concerns
As part of its plan to implement women's reservation before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, the government is considering increasing the number of seats in every state by 50 per cent. The proposal is intended to address concerns raised by southern states over the possible impact of delimitation on their parliamentary representation.
The fresh draft is learnt to have suggested retaining the existing proportion of seats among states based on the 1971 Census. However, government sources have indicated that this is among several formulations under consideration and no final decision has been taken.
The Constitution does not specify a deadline for proroguing a House after it has been adjourned sine die. Keeping a parliamentary session open for an extended period without formal prorogation does not, by itself, amount to any constitutional or procedural impropriety.