Centre May Delay Bills On Women's Quota, Not Table Them This Session: Sources

The Women's Reservation Law may not be introduced for amendment during the ongoing Budget Session of parliament. The list of four bills provided at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee does not include the Women's Reservation Bill. Sources said at the meeting, the government has indicated that a special session could be convened specifically for the Women's Reservation Bill, or alternatively, its introduction could be considered during the Monsoon Session. 

The special session can be held after a short recess following the Budget Session where the bill can be passed.

The government had originally intended to introduce the amendment to the Women's Reservation Act in the current session and introduce a bill to delink it from census and delimitation. 

The fresh possibility is being considered after a letter from Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. 

Read: Centre May Bypass Delimitation, Census To Fast Forward Women's Quota To 2029

Kharge has demanded an all-party meeting be held to discuss the Women's Reservation Bill after the coming assembly elections, during which they also want to deliberate on the government's intentions regarding the matter. 

His demand has been endorsed by all Opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party, DMK, the Left parties, and the RJD. Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, however, has distanced itself from this bill. 

The Opposition is not in favour of the government rushing the passage of this bill and suspects that the bill is being introduced with an eye on the Bengal elections. 

The government, they suspect, is aiming to make women's participation an electoral issue and to use it as a counter-strategy against Mamata Banerjee's 'women's card.

The Opposition has also insisted that the government take them into confidence regarding this bill, as the Women's Reservation Bill entails a Constitutional Amendment. 

Such an amendment cannot happen without a two-thirds majority - a requirement that in the current Lok Sabha is not possible without the support of the Opposition.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju has already discussed the matter with Kharge, sources said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has held meetings with several regional opposition parties on the matter yesterday. He has met with leaders from the NCP, SP, BJD, Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction), and YSR Congress.

There is also a proposal to increase the number of members in the Lok Sabha to 816, of which the total number of seats reserved for women MPs would be 273. The 2011 Census could be used as basis for the delimitation of these seats. The implementation could be during the 2029 Lok Sabha election.