Parliament winter session likely in 1st week of December; delimitation bill to be in focus | India News
NEW DELHI: The winter session of Parliament is likely to commence in the first week of December, news agency PTI reported on Sunday. The government is looking to secure passage of a Constitution amendment bill linking women’s reservation to delimitation. This comes as opposition parties prepare to intensify their protests over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.The proposed legislation seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to a maximum of 850 seats through delimitation, enabling the implementation of 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.The possible dates are being discussed at the highest levels of the government, PTI reported citing sources.However, the bill faces a significant numbers challenge. A Constitution amendment requires the support of at least two-thirds of members present and voting. In the current Lok Sabha, this translates to 361 votes if all 540 members vote, with three seats vacant.The ruling NDA has 320 members and will need opposition support to cross the required threshold. A senior government functionary, however, expressed confidence on Thursday that the legislation would clear Parliament by a margin of 15 to 18 votes.The legislative push is also likely to coincide with a fresh confrontation between the government and opposition over the SIR exercise. Opposition parties have stepped up their criticism of the electoral roll revision and are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Their protests could spill into the winter session and disrupt parliamentary proceedings.An MP from the ruling alliance said a Constitution amendment bill could not be debated and put to vote unless the House functioned in an orderly manner.Meanwhile, the government’s decision not to prorogue the Monsoon session has added to speculation about the next parliamentary sitting. The session was adjourned sine die on August 13 but has remained unprorogued for 94 days, exceeding the previous record of 87 days in 2008.
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Keeping the session alive has allowed the government to retain the option of convening an extended sitting at short notice. Such a sitting would require a minimum notice of two days, compared with at least 14 days for convening a fresh session.The government is also learnt to be considering a formula to address concerns over the proposed delimitation, particularly those raised by southern states. Under the proposal being explored, Lok Sabha seats could be increased by 50% across states while retaining their existing inter-state share based on the 1971 Census. No final decision has been taken on the framework.The proposed constitutional amendment had failed to secure the required numbers during a special sitting of Parliament on April 17.
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