Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday spoke to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for the second time in three days, seeking the Congress' support for the proposed women's reservation and delimitation bill as the government intensifies efforts to build consensus ahead of its planned reintroduction in Parliament.
Sources said Gandhi told Rijiju that the Congress wants the government to convene an all-party meeting before moving ahead with the legislation. The minister, however, did not commit to such a meeting.
"I had a productive conversation with Rahul Gandhi. I have made a request on a few specific issues and also discussed other matters. We expect continuous communication and coordinated action with the Congress and other opposition parties," Rijiju told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
The latest phone call comes after Rijiju met Gandhi twice over the past 10 days as part of the government's outreach for the smooth functioning of Parliament. The Centre is also expected to engage with other opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and the DMK leadership, as well as NDA allies, to secure broader support for the proposed legislation.
The government is aiming to reintroduce the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill during the ongoing Monsoon Session. The proposed law seeks to operationalise 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies before the 2029 general elections through a fresh delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. It also proposes increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats.
Sources said the revised bill could include changes to address concerns raised by southern states, including a provision to increase the existing Lok Sabha seats of every state by 50 per cent regardless of population size.
Referring to his conversation with Gandhi, Rijiju said political rivals must work together on issues of national importance.
"They may be political opponents but are not enemies. Therefore, we should work together in the national interest. However, the impression created outside is that they are determined not to let Parliament function at all; but who ultimately suffers from that?" he said.
On the opposition's demand for Union Home Minister Amit Shah's presence in the House, Rijiju said, "The home minister has introduced bills and has been present in Parliament, working from morning till evening. Naturally, the minister whose bill is under consideration remains present in the House."
With four working days left before the Monsoon Session ends on August 13, the government is making a renewed push to secure the numbers required for the bill's passage after a similar attempt earlier this year failed in Parliament.
Rijiju also ruled out convening a special session for the legislation, indicating that any move to reintroduce the bill would be made during the current session.
(With inputs from PTI)
