The Narendra Modi government has decided to reconvene Parliament for a short session on April 16, coinciding with the Assembly elections, to amend the women’s reservation law and accelerate its implementation.
Based on the 2011 census, the government proposes to substantially increase the strength of the Lok Sabha to 816 from the current 543 and reserve one-third of the seats for women. Sources said the government plans to bring two amendments, one of which is constitutional and cannot be passed without the Opposition’s support.
Rejecting the Opposition’s allegation that the BJP was seeking to exploit voter sentiments and could also be violating the model code of conduct, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that the government intends to introduce the amendments to the law in the next “two to three weeks”.
Although Rijiju refrained from giving an exact date for when Parliament would reconvene, both Houses were adjourned later in the day to meet again on April 16. Thursday marked the final day of the second half of the budget session, which is typically adjourned sine die until the monsoon session in mid-July.
Elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry are scheduled for April 9, while Bengal will vote on April 23 and 29 and Tamil Nadu on April 23.
The government had enacted the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in 2023, providing for one-third reservation for women in legislatures, but linked its implementation to the next census and subsequent delimitation. It now proposes amending the law to base implementation on the 2011 census, arguing that relying on the ongoing census, which began on April 1, could delay rollout beyond the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Rijiju’s response in the Upper House came after Congress member Jairam Ramesh sought clarification on whether the budget session would be adjourned sine die or would reconvene after some time, for which a separate notification would need to be issued.
“We are going to have a very important bill in the next two to three weeks’ time. Today, the government would propose that the House be adjourned, and we will meet very soon for a very specific period,” Rijiju replied, referring to the women’s reservation bill and stressing that the Opposition was aware of it.
Ramesh, however, accused the government of attempting to derive political mileage. “The government has a single-minded objective of getting some political advantage by passing a bill violating the election model code of conduct in the next two to three weeks. This is wholly objectionable,” he said.
Rijiju asserted the government’s commitment to women’s empowerment and dismissed concerns over any violation of the model code. “This has nothing to do with elections. Parliament has a responsibility towards the women of this nation, and we must fulfil it within the available time frame,” he said.
He claimed there was no “controversial and objectionable” point in the bill. “Yet, the Opposition parties are doing politics on this bill. We have general elections coming in 2029. Today, we are in the month of April 2026. So let us not go into the dates. Please cooperate with the government,” Rijiju told the House, seeking to underline the government’s commitment to implement the reservation by the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said they were not against women’s reservation. “However, the government should stop imposing a date and time for bringing it,” Kharge said, reiterating the demand for an all-party meeting.