NEW DELHI, Aug. 5 -- Even as the deadlock in Parliament continues during the ongoing Monsoon session, the NDA government is making a fresh push to secure the passage of a Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures before the 2029 elections and redraw Lok Sabha constituencies, increasing their number to 816.
In a renewed effort to build support for the legislation, the government has reached out to the principal opposition party, the Congress, as well as NDA allies. The move comes nearly four months after a similar attempt failed due to inadequate numbers.
The government also plans to meet other opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and the DMK leadership, to gauge their views on the possible reintroduction of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill.
As part of the outreach, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday to discuss the Bill's reintroduction but did not receive any commitment from the Congress leader, sources said. The meeting lasted about 50 minutes.
Rijiju has also sounded out NDA allies on the proposed legislation, which seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 to facilitate the implementation of the women's reservation law before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
The proposal also envisages increasing the number of seats in state and Union Territory assemblies to provide 33 per cent reservation for women.
The government's earlier delimitation proposal had faced resistance from southern states, which feared that a larger increase in seats in the north could allow parties sweeping those states to secure a majority at the Centre, weakening the political influence of the south.
Sources said efforts are being made to reintroduce the Bill, with some changes to address the concerns of southern states, during the remaining four working days of the Monsoon session before it concludes on August 13.
The last attempt came during a three-day special sitting of Parliament from April 16 to 18, when the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was introduced. It was the first Bill under the Modi government to be defeated in Parliament.
During the debate in April, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said a false narrative had been created that southern states would be disadvantaged during delimitation because they had controlled population growth more effectively than northern states.
The government is considering adding a provision to the revised Bill stating that the existing Lok Sabha seats in every state would be increased by 50 per cent, irrespective of population.
A government functionary said that if the Bill is to be reintroduced, it will be done during the ongoing session, ruling out a special session after the Independence Day weekend.
Sources said Rijiju did not discuss extending the current session or convening a special session during his meeting with Gandhi. Instead, he sought the Congress leader's views on the Opposition's stand on delimitation.
Rijiju met Gandhi in his office in the Parliament complex. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was present, while Lok Sabha Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi and party general secretary K.C. Venugopal joined the meeting later.
Gandhi told Rijiju that a statement by the Home Minister on police action against students protesting over the NEET paper leak and a discussion on the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya were non-negotiable for the House to function, sources said. It was Rijiju's second meeting with Gandhi in the past 10 days.
The Bill had earlier fallen short of the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, with 298 members voting in favour and 230 against. The government's numbers have improved marginally since then.
The NDA's strength in the Lok Sabha now stands at 299 after seven Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs merged with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Among the 20 NCPI MPs, three Muslim members have remained non-committal about supporting the NDA. If all 20 back the Bill, the government would have the assured support of 319 MPs.
However, that remains well short of the 360 votes required to pass a constitutional amendment based on the current effective strength of the House.
The DMK is no longer part of the INDIA bloc after the Congress joined the TVK government in Tamil Nadu. With 22 Lok Sabha MPs, it is now the third-largest opposition party in the House. In the Rajya Sabha, its eight members make it the second-largest opposition party.
Its support could prove crucial for the passage of the Bill linked to the implementation of women's reservation.
Since the Monsoon session began on July 20, protests by opposition parties have repeatedly disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha, preventing the House from completing Question Hour. Five Bills have been passed without discussion amid repeated disruptions.
The Opposition has been protesting over the NEET paper leak and the alleged theft of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple. It has been demanding a discussion on police action against students protesting over the paper leak and insisting on the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister.
Proceedings were adjourned again on Wednesday as Opposition MPs continued raising slogans over several issues, including police action against students. Soon after the House assembled, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appealed to members to return to their seats and allow Question Hour to function.
"Sloganeering, whether inside or outside the House, is not good for democracy. By displaying placards and raising slogans, you are lowering the dignity of the House," Birla said.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, Rijiju criticised the Opposition over its protests concerning the alleged misappropriation of donations made to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.