Centre May Bring Delimitation Bill In Monsoon Session Amid Representation Questions
Delimitation debate returns with questions over seat allocation.
The Centre is preparing to reintroduce the Delimitation Bill and the Women Reservation Bill during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, with efforts underway to build political consensus on the contentious proposals. According to sources, the decision to make a fresh attempt was taken during a meeting of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ministers chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The government is expected to focus on securing the required numbers for passing the constitutional amendment after an earlier attempt failed.
The delimitation proposal was introduced during the Budget Session of Parliament in April but could not clear the House after the ruling side failed to secure the required two-thirds majority needed for a Constitution Amendment Bill. Following the setback, the government has begun discussions with various political parties to address concerns and create broader support. NDA ministers have reportedly been assigned responsibilities to hold consultations with different parties ahead of the Monsoon Session.
Sources indicate that the government may introduce a revised version of the bill with an assurance of a uniform 50 percent increase in Lok Sabha seats across all states. During the earlier debate, opposition parties had demanded that such a cap be included directly in the legislation. NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule recently confirmed that discussions had taken place with several parties, including the Congress and the DMK, over the demand for an equal increase in representation. She suggested that written assurance in the bill could influence the party's position.
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The Centre's renewed push comes amid changing political calculations in Parliament. A two-thirds majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha currently requires 362 votes, though with three vacant seats, the effective requirement is around 360. During the previous vote, the bill received support from 298 MPs while 230 members opposed it. The NDA currently has the backing of 293 MPs, and support from 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs and six Shiv Sena (UBT) members has increased the government's strength to 319, leaving it short of the required mark.
The government is also closely watching the position of regional parties, particularly the DMK and NCP (SP), whose support could prove crucial. The DMK, which has 22 Lok Sabha MPs, has indicated that it will announce its position only after examining the new bill. Party chief M.K. Stalin has reportedly said that the party will not automatically support either the BJP-led government or the opposition and will decide its approach based on the issue. With eight NCP (SP) MPs also seen as important, their combined support could bring the government closer to achieving the numbers needed for passage.
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