'Special Parliament session likely this month' to push women’s quota, delimitation Bills

The Centre is considering convening a special session of Parliament later this month to revive the women’s reservation and delimitation Bills, NDTV has reported, citing sources. The move comes amid Opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

According to NDTV, the government is confident of securing sufficient support in Parliament and is holding discussions with regional parties to strengthen its numbers ahead of a possible vote.

Centre reaches out to DMK, smaller parties

According to the report, the government is in talks with the DMK, which has 22 MPs, to seek its backing for the Bills. The discussions come after the party’s split with the Congress following the Tamil Nadu elections. The DMK has been among the strongest opponents of delimitation and has since moved away from the INDIA bloc.

The Centre is also reportedly reaching out to smaller parties as it looks to secure the numbers required to pass the proposed legislation.

The dates for the special session are expected to take into account the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, scheduled at Samvidhan Sadan on October 26 and 27. According to the report, the government may give a week’s notice before convening the session.

Bills faced setback in April

The government suffered a setback on April 17 during the Budget session when a Constitution 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.

Efforts to bring the Bills back during the Monsoon Session also failed amid Opposition protests over the NEET paper leak and the crackdown on student demonstrations. The session ended on August 13 and has not yet been prorogued.

Numbers remain crucial for passage

A Constitution amendment requires a special majority — a two-thirds majority of members present and voting in both Houses of Parliament.

The Lok Sabha currently has 540 members. While the NDA has a majority, it does not have the required two-thirds strength, NDTV reported. The government is banking on a stronger position than during the previous session.

Sources also told NDTV that the Centre expects support from the NCP (SP), which has eight MPs, if a guaranteed 50 per cent across-the-board increase in seats is included in the Bill. Party leader Supriya Sule had earlier indicated “willingness to talk if 50% was guaranteed”.