Centre readies special Parliament session for women's quota and delimitation Bills after April defeat

The Union government is preparing to call a special session of Parliament to take another shot at the Constitution amendment Bills that would put 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies into effect, according to reports on Thursday citing government sources.

The sources said the government's floor managers were now confident of having the numbers, and expected to win by a margin of 15 to 18 votes. No dates or duration for the session have been made public.

The numbers game

Because the legislation amends the Constitution, it needs a two-thirds majority of members present and voting. With the Lok Sabha at 540 members against a sanctioned strength of 543, the target is 361 votes if every MP turns up and votes.

That bar proved too high in April. On 17 April, during a special sitting of the Budget Session, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill won 298 votes against 230, short of the two-thirds required. Opposition parties had said they backed reservation for women but objected to the delimitation plan tied to it.

According to the reports, the government is now willing to offer assurances on a proportional increase in Lok Sabha seats for every state, an attempt to address concerns, especially in the south, that states which controlled population growth early could lose out. A 50 per cent increase in seats for each state is among the ideas that have been discussed, though sources said no final decision had been taken on the formula.

Why a session can be called quickly

The Monsoon Session was adjourned sine die on 13 August but has not been prorogued, which means the Houses can be recalled for an extended sitting at short notice. A new session would require longer notice.

The government has reached out to several Opposition parties, including the DMK, the NCP (SP) and the Shiv Sena (UBT), and describes the talks as positive, The Tribune reported. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh questioned why the Houses had not been prorogued and said a three-day special session was likely to be called soon. Congress has sought an all-party meeting on the issue.

Why it matters

The 2023 women's reservation law has not yet come into force because it is linked to a fresh delimitation of constituencies. The outcome of a fresh vote will decide whether the quota can be in place for the 2029 general election, and how Lok Sabha seats are shared between northern and southern states for years to come.