The Centre is reportedly consulting the DMK and smaller Opposition parties to secure the numbers needed to pass proposed delimitation and women’s reservation legislation.
The renewed outreach follows the failure of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to secure the required two-thirds majority.
Opposition parties have raised concerns that population-based delimitation could affect regional representation.
The Centre is likely to hold a special Parliament session this month to pass the woman's reservation as well as the delimitation bill, media reports said.
For this, the Centre is reaching out to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and smaller Opposition parties to secure the numbers needed to pass the proposed delimitation and women’s reservation legislation, with a special session of Parliament likely towards the end of October, according to reports citing government sources.
The government is confident of building support for the proposed constitutional amendments and is in touch with “like-minded parties” to assess the prospects of their passage, CNN-News18 reported on Friday. India Today also reported that the Centre believes it can secure the required numbers, although the final decision on bringing the Bills to Parliament will depend on whether it is satisfied with the level of support.
The possible special session comes amid intensifying Opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The government has not announced dates for the proposed sitting.
Centre Seeks Wider Support After Earlier Setback
The government’s renewed outreach follows its earlier failure to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha for the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, linked to delimitation and the implementation of women’s reservation. Although the Bill received more votes in favour than against, it failed to meet the constitutional threshold.
The proposed legislation is connected to the implementation of the 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. Parliament passed the women’s reservation law in 2023, but its implementation is tied to a delimitation exercise. The Centre has sought to advance the timeline for operationalising the quota ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
A constitutional amendment requires a special majority in Parliament. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has a majority in the current Lok Sabha but needs support beyond its ranks to meet the two-thirds threshold. With the House having 540 members, that threshold is 360.
Media reports said the Centre was consulting regional parties and smaller Opposition groups before deciding when to bring the Bills back to Parliament. The outreach to the DMK is significant amid reports of a widening rift between the party and the Congress following the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The proposed delimitation exercise has faced resistance from several Opposition parties, particularly those in southern states. Critics have raised concerns that a population-based redistribution of parliamentary seats could alter the balance of political representation between states, potentially disadvantaging states that have made greater progress in population control.
Opposition parties have also questioned linking women’s reservation to delimitation and the use of census data to redraw constituencies. The Centre’s current consultations are aimed at building broader political support and assessing whether the legislation can clear Parliament.
Special Session May Be Held Later This Month
A special sitting could be convened towards the end of October, although the dates have yet to be finalised. The schedule is expected to take into account the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, which is scheduled to be held at Samvidhan Sadan on October 26 and 27.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament, which concluded on August 13, has not yet been formally prorogued, even though both Houses were adjourned sine die. An adjournment sine die ends a sitting without specifying a date for the next one, while prorogation formally brings a parliamentary session to a close.
The delay in prorogation leaves room for the government to convene a special sitting. Media reports citing government sources indicated that a week’s notice may be given before the session begins.
The Centre is expected to decide on the timing of the Bills’ introduction after assessing whether it has secured sufficient support. While the legislation remains on the government’s agenda, its passage will depend on the numbers it can muster in Parliament.
