Centre Plans Special Session Of Parliament For Women’s Reservation Bill, Eyes 15-18 Vote Margin: Report

The government plans to convene a "special session" of Parliament to pass a Constitution amendment bill tied to the implementation of women's reservation. PTI reported that sources expressed confidence the bill can clear the House by 15 to 18 votes.

The government believes it has the numbers needed for the bill, but it has not disclosed the dates or duration of the proposed session. The push matters because the bill needs a two-thirds majority and an earlier attempt failed in the Lok Sabha on April 17.

The proposal is linked to a broader recast of Lok Sabha seats through delimitation. That change would then enable 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies.

Numbers And Thresholds

The arithmetic is tight. The government needs 361 votes to secure the two-thirds majority required to pass the Constitution amendment bill.

The Lok Sabha has 543 seats, and three are vacant now. The proposed amendment seeks to raise the strength of the House from 543 to a maximum of 850 through delimitation.

That expansion would pave the way for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and in state legislative assemblies. Sources said the government is confident of securing the required support.

Earlier Defeat And Timing

A similar Constitution amendment bill failed to get the required numbers in the Lok Sabha during a special sitting of the Budget Session on April 17.

A fresh move remains possible because Parliament can still be convened at short notice. The Monsoon Session, during which both Houses were adjourned sine die on August 13, has not yet been prorogued.

That session has now remained unprorogued for 91 days, breaking the previous record of 87 days set in 2008. An extended sitting within the existing session needs at least two days' notice, while a fresh session requires at least 14 days' notice.

The government's decision to keep the Monsoon Session unprorogued had already fuelled speculation about an extended or special sitting to consider the amendment. The Constitution does not prescribe a fixed timeframe for proroguing a House after it has been adjourned sine die, and continuation without prorogation does not by itself amount to any constitutional or procedural impropriety.

Seat-Ratio Formula

The government proposes to increase Lok Sabha seats for all states by 50 per cent to assuage concerns of southern states.

The aim is to operationalise the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls. Building on the earlier bill, the fresh draft is learnt to have proposed retaining the existing inter-state seat ratios based on the 1971 Census.

That, however, is not final. Government sources said this is only one of the formulations under consideration, and no final decision has been taken.

(With PTI Inputs)