Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi as part of the government’s outreach to gauge the Congress’ position on the proposed legislation
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The government has begun consultations with the opposition on convening a special session of Parliament later this month to revive two key constitutional amendment Bills on women’s reservation and delimitation that failed to clear Parliament earlier this year due to a lack of the required special majority.Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi as part of the government’s outreach to gauge the Congress’ position on the proposed legislation. According to sources, the government has suggested holding a three-day special session after the Monsoon Session concludes on August 13, though the exact dates are yet to be finalised.Confidence-building exerciseThe meeting, held at Gandhi’s office in Parliament House, was described by sources as a confidence-building exercise. Rijiju is also expected to hold discussions with other Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, as the government seeks broader political support.The proposed legislation seeks to operationalise 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies by linking it to a fresh delimitation exercise. The government also plans to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from the present 543 seats to around 850 as part of the exercise, with the aim of implementing the quota before the 2029 general election rather than waiting until 2034 under the framework of the Nari Shakti Vandhan Adhiniyam enacted in 2023.The Bills were defeated during a special session in April after the government fell short of the two-thirds majority required to amend the Constitution. During the vote, 528 members were present in the Lok Sabha, making the special majority mark to 352. The government secured 298 votes, leaving it well short of the threshold.Since then, the ruling NDA’s numbers have improved following political realignments and support from MPs across parties.Government sources believe the coalition has substantially narrowed the gap to the required special majority in both Houses of Parliament. The Centre is also exploring issue-based backing from parties such as the DMK and Sharad Pawar’s NCP, while defections from the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have further strengthened its position.The Congress, however, continues to oppose linking women’s reservation with delimitation. It has argued that reservation for women should be implemented immediately on the basis of the existing strength of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, without waiting for a fresh delimitation exercise.Legislative pushDelimitation also remains politically contentious, particularly among southern States, which fear that population-based redistribution of seats could reduce their relative representation in Parliament. To address these concerns, the Centre has indicated that every State would receive a substantial increase in seats, with representation proposed to rise by about 50 per cent over the current strength rather than reducing the number of seats held by any State.The government’s legislative push comes despite repeated disruptions during the Monsoon Session, which has seen little substantive business amid Opposition protests over a range of issues. Even so, the Centre appears determined to revive the constitutional amendments once it is confident of securing the numbers needed for their passage.Published on August 5, 2026
