The Union government is reportedly preparing to convene a special session of Parliament later this month to push through the constituency delimitation bill. An official announcement is expected soon.
The move is linked to the Women’s Reservation law passed in 2023, which provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. As implementation is tied to the census and delimitation process, the Centre is said to be aiming to bring the reservation into effect by the 2029 Lok Sabha election, and has decided to pursue delimitation based on the 2011 Census.
To proceed, the government must amend the Constitution (131st Amendment), which requires a two-thirds majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Opposition parties including the Congress, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party have opposed the bill.
The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in April but failed after it did not secure the required two-thirds support. Though it was expected to return during the July–August monsoon session, it was not taken up; the session that ended on August 13 has also not been formally adjourned, with reports suggesting this was to facilitate another attempt once numbers are secured.
In the Lok Sabha, with 543 members and three vacancies, the ruling NDA is said to have 318 MPs, while 360 votes are needed. If the DMK’s 22 MPs back the bill, the tally would rise to 340, leaving a gap of 20. In the Rajya Sabha, with 245 seats and three vacancies, the NDA has 153 of 240 members, against a requirement of 162—meaning support from nine MPs of smaller parties would be needed. Reports also claim the Centre is in talks with the DMK and that the party may agree to support the bill.
