Govt reaches out to Opposition for special session

NEW DELHI: With Parliament yet to be prorogued, the Centre has reached out to the Opposition parties over a proposal to convene a special session of Parliament before the festive season begins, to push through the delimitation-linked women’s reservation Bill, it is learnt.

Sources said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s office has reached out to Congress chief and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to explore whether the session can be held before October 11, when the Navratri season begins. Kharge’s office is yet to respond, sources said.

The move comes amid the unusual delay in proroguing Parliament, triggering speculation about a special session, though the government has made no announcement.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday said the government had broken its previous record for the longest delay in proroguing both Houses. The special session buzz intensified last week after Rijiju said Parliament could convene a session to discuss delimitation-related proposals.

Following this, Kharge wrote to Rijiju, reiterating the demand that the government convene an all-party meeting and disclose the proposed agenda before taking a decision.

During the Budget session on April 17, the government faced a setback as the Constitution amendment bill, involving delimitation, for the implementation of the women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and assemblies was defeated in the LS.

The government has now proposed to increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats, from 543 to up to 850 with each state’s representation increasing proportionately.

According to sources, the government is pursuing DMK, which has 22 Lok Sabha MPs, to vote for the Bill. While there is still no clarity on whether the government has two-thirds majority, a recent meeting between DMK MP Kanimozhi and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar fuelled speculation over opposition consultations on delimitation.

Sources said Congress has reached out to its INDIA bloc allies, including SP and the TMC, to formulate a common position if government proceeds with the session