Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said Opposition parties had not been informed of any government move to convene a special sitting of Parliament to take up the proposed delimitation legislation, amid growing speculation over the Centre's plans to revive the bills.
"They have not intimated the rest of us. So, if they are planning it, I don't know. As of now, I have no information," she told reporters during a four-day visit to her constituency, which began on Wednesday.
The government is reportedly considering an early special sitting to secure the passage of a Constitution amendment bill linked to the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state Assemblies. However, no dates or duration have been officially announced.
Neither the Lok Sabha nor the Rajya Sabha has met since the Monsoon Session was adjourned sine die on August 13. The session, however, has not been formally prorogued by President Droupadi Murmu. As of Friday, it had remained unprorogued for 91 days, surpassing the previous record of 87 days set in 2008.
Keeping the session open allows the government to reconvene Parliament at shorter notice. An extended sitting within the existing session requires a minimum notice of two days, compared with at least 14 days for a fresh session. The government has also not announced the dates for the Winter Session.
The proposed legislation follows the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on April 17. The bill, introduced alongside the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, sought to enable the implementation of women's reservation by increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to a maximum of 850 seats through delimitation.
The amendment failed to secure the required two-thirds majority, with 298 members voting in favour and 230 against. The Centre is now seeking to revive the proposals, with government sources expressing confidence that it can secure the numbers needed for passage.
The proposed delimitation exercise has drawn opposition from several parties, particularly over concerns that a population-based redistribution of seats could affect the representation of southern states. The Congress has sought an all-party meeting to discuss the proposals before the government brings them back to Parliament.
Priyanka also accused the government of suppressing dissent, saying people who sought to express their views were being silenced.
"Anybody who has something to say or wants to express themselves is put down and shut down. We have seen that happening over the last few months," she said.
"We are fighting for the Constitution and its values. We are fighting because all the institutions in our country that uphold the Constitution and its values are being systematically destroyed by the BJP," she alleged.
(With inputs from PTI)