Full Breakdown
Government Poised for Special Parliamentary Session on Delimitation and Women’s Reservation Bills
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Planned Session and Legislative Goal
Government sources say a special session of Parliament is likely to be convened later this month to re-introduce constitutional amendment bills that would overhaul electoral delimitation and reserve 33 percent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The bills require a two-thirds majority—about 360 of the 540 Lok Sabha members—according to the Constitution.
Shifting Parliamentary Numbers
Since the defeat of the same amendment package on April 17, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has bolstered its position. Twenty Trinamool Congress MPs and six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs are reported to have switched allegiance to the government. Sources also indicate that the ruling side is courting the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which holds 22 MPs, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has eight MPs, to close the gap to the required super-majority.
Timing and Coordination with the BRICS Forum
The Monsoon Session that ended on August 13 has not yet been prorogued, leaving procedural space for a special sitting. Sources say a one-week notice could be issued before the session, with the exact dates likely to be set around the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, scheduled for October 26-27 at the Samvidhan Sadan (Parliament House).
Background: Prior Setback and Ongoing Protests
The amendment package was previously rejected during the Budget Session on April 17, amid intense opposition protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Subsequent controversies—including a leak of the NEET exam paper and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan—delayed the government’s attempt to bring the bills forward in the Monsoon Session.
Outlook
If the government secures the pledged support from the DMK, NCP and other smaller parties, it could achieve the roughly 360-vote threshold needed for passage. The special session’s timing will be shaped by the need to accommodate the BRICS Forum schedule, while opposition parties continue to protest the SIR exercise and the proposed electoral reforms.