New Delhi: The government is considering convening a special session of Parliament to secure the passage of a Constitutional Amendment Bill aimed at implementing
33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. As per PTI, government sources have expressed confidence that the proposed legislation will clear the Lok Sabha with a margin of 15 to 18 votes.
Know about the proposed amendment
The proposed amendment seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from its existing 543 seats to a maximum of 850 through a delimitation exercise. The expansion is expected to facilitate the implementation of the women’s reservation law ahead of the 2029 general elections. For the Constitution Amendment Bill to pass, the government requires a two-thirds majority, translating into 361 votes in the 543-member House. Three Lok Sabha seats are currently vacant.
The development follows the failure of a similar Constitutional Amendment Bill during a special sitting of Parliament on April 17, when the government could not secure the necessary support. Interestingly, the Monsoon Session, which concluded with both Houses being adjourned sine die on August 13, has not yet been formally prorogued. It has remained unprorogued for 91 days, surpassing the previous record of 87 days set in 2008.
This allows the government to consider extending the existing session with a minimum two-day notice. In contrast, convening an entirely new session requires at least 14 days’ notice.
Under the proposed delimitation framework, the government is considering increasing Lok Sabha seats across all states by 50 per cent while retaining existing inter-state seat proportions based on the 1971 Census. The approach is intended to address concerns raised by southern states over their parliamentary representation. However, government sources indicate that discussions are ongoing and no final decision has been taken on the proposed formula.
The Constitution does not specify a fixed deadline for proroguing a House after adjournment sine die. Therefore, keeping the session open for an extended period does not, by itself, constitute a constitutional or procedural violation.
