Womens Reservation Bill: The Union Government has officially extended the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament for an additional three days. This extension is specifically aimed at processing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Bill) amendment, a move intended to ensure the law is implemented well before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Under the proposed amendment, the government seeks to bypass the previous requirement of waiting for the 2027 Census completion. This would allow the immediate implementation of 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
The bill also includes a significant proposal to expand the total number of Lok Sabha seats to 816. Within this new structure, 273 seats would be strictly reserved for women. If passed, the reservation will first take effect in upcoming elections across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand.
Opposition Questions Timing and Transparency
The Congress party has raised serious concerns regarding the lack of transparency surrounding the draft. MP Manish Tewari told news agency IANS that while the Prime Minister is writing articles in newspapers, the specific nature of the amendments remains unclear to lawmakers.
Tewari noted that the 2023 version of the bill explicitly linked reservation to a prior delimitation exercise. He reiterated that while Congress remains a staunch supporter of the bill-originally passed in the Rajya Sabha during the UPA era—any comment on the current move is speculative until the formal draft is shared.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh further characterized the summoning of this special session during an election period as a “gross violation” of the Model Code of Conduct. He cited a formal letter from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to emphasize the party’s objection to the session’s timing.
Demands for Sub-Quota and Caste Census
The Samajwadi Party has extended conditional support to the bill. Speaking to reporters in Mainpuri, MP Dimple Yadav stated that the party stands by women’s reservation but insists on the inclusion of Backward Class (OBC) women within the quota.
Yadav emphasized that without a caste census, the bill might fail to provide justice to women from marginalized backgrounds. She demanded that a specific share for OBC women be carved out within the proposed 33 percent reservation to ensure equitable representation.
The Numbers Game and BJP Whip
Passing this constitutional amendment requires a “special majority.” This means the bill must be supported by a majority of the total membership of the House and a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for “collective action” and sought support from across the political spectrum. However, the NDA government faces a skeptical opposition that continues to question the motives behind the sudden acceleration of the amendment.
In preparation for the floor test, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a three-line whip to all its Members of Parliament. It is now mandatory for all BJP lawmakers to be present in the House from April 16 to April 18. The party has clarified that no leave of absence will be granted during this critical period.
