Govt plans special Parliament session to push women’s quota bill:Expects 15-18 vote majority

The Centre is considering convening a special session of Parliament to secure the passage of a Constitutional amendment bill aimed at facilitating the implementation of women’s reservation in legislatures. Government sources have expressed confidence that the legislation will clear the Lok Sabha with a margin of 15 to 18 votes, although the proposed dates and duration of the session have not yet been disclosed. The government needs at least 361 votes to secure the mandatory two-thirds majority for passing the amendment. The Lok Sabha has a sanctioned strength of 543 members, although three seats are currently vacant. At the heart of the proposed legislation is a plan to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from its existing 543 seats to a maximum of 850 through delimitation. The expansion is intended to facilitate the implementation of 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies. Previous amendment failed to secure Lok Sabha majority The fresh attempt comes after a similar Constitutional amendment bill failed to obtain the required support in the Lok Sabha during a special sitting of the Budget Session on April 17. Despite the earlier setback, the government is now preparing to bring the legislation back, with sources maintaining that it has the necessary numbers to get it passed. Parliament session could be convened at short notice The possibility of an early sitting remains open because the Monsoon Session, during which both Houses were adjourned sine die on August 13, has not yet been formally prorogued. The session has now remained unprorogued for 91 days, surpassing the previous record of 87 days set in 2008. Under parliamentary procedures, an extended sitting within the existing session requires a minimum notice of two days. However, convening an entirely new session would require at least 14 days’ notice. The government could therefore use the existing session to bring the amendment before Parliament at shorter notice.