New Delhi: The Centre is likely to summon a special session of Parliament to pass a Constitution amendment bill to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
The government is confident that the bill would get the two-third majority in the Lok Sabha with a margin of 15-18 votes, but has not yet revealed when and for how long the special session will be summoned, PTI reported.
The Constitution amendment needs at least 361 votes to pass, and there are currently 540 members in the Lok Sabha as three seats remain vacant out of the total sanctioned strength of 543.
Delimitation
The amendment seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from the current strength of 543 to a maximum 850 through delimitation so that 33 per cent reservation for women can be provided in Parliament and state legislative assemblies.
A similar Constitution amendment bill could not get the necessary majority in the Lok Sabha when a special session was held during the Budget Session on April 17.
As the Monsoon Session which was adjourned sine die on August 13 has not yet been prorogued, there is still a possibility of summoning Parliament at short notice. The session has already not been prorogued for 91 days, breaking the previous record of 87 days set in 2008.
In case the government decides to extend the current session, they need to give a minimum of two days notice. But if they decide to summon a new session they have to give a minimum of 14 days’ notice. By not proroguing the Monsoon Session, speculation has arisen that they may call an extended or special session.
Centre Addresses Concerns Of Southern States
The government is also considering addressing concerns raised by southern states.
One suggestion is to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats for each state by 50 per cent. This ensures that the current ratios between states are not greatly affected.
A new draft of the bill has suggested that the current ratios between states according to the 1971 Census should be maintained, but government sources said that this is just one option being considered.
The Centre also wants to introduce the women’s reservation law ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
There is no specific time frame given in the Constitution for proroguing a House once it has been adjourned sine die. There is no constitutional or procedural wrongdoing in not proroguing a session for a long period of time.