With two major opposition parties grappling with internal rebellions and a third distancing itself from the INDIA bloc, the Narendra Modi government is exploring the possibility of reviving the delimitation legislation needed to implement women's reservation in the Lok Sabha ahead of the 2029 general election, government sources said.
Sources indicated that the Centre believes the shifting political landscape, coupled with growing support from opposition MPs for the ruling NDA, could improve the prospects of securing parliamentary approval for the legislation.
While a Constitution amendment bill to give 33 per cent reservation to women was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17, the delimitation bill and another draft law to implement the women's reservation law in the Union Territories (UTs) with assemblies are still pending in the Lower House as the government has not withdrawn them yet.
Following the defeat of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the recent West Bengal assembly election, the regional party is on the verge of a split, both in the state Assembly and Parliament, with a majority of them siding with the ruling dispensation at the Centre.
The DMK, which lost power in Tamil Nadu, is peeved with the Congress for the party's support to the new TVK government in the southern state.
As the DMK distanced itself from the INDIA bloc after accusing the Congress of "backstabbing", sources indicated that the BJP could try to gather issue-based support from the Tamil Nadu party in Parliament, including on crucial legislation.
Seven of the 10 MPs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Rajya Sabha have already joined the BJP, thus increasing the ruling alliance's tally in the Upper House.
On May 28, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told PTI that the women's quota law "won't have to wait for long", as he indicated that it would be in place before the 2029 parliamentary polls.
The law minister also said that a lot of things will happen before the next Lok Sabha elections. "Therefore, we will not let the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam wait for long. The country also does not want the Nari Shakti Vandan (women's reservation law) to wait for long," he asserted.
Meghwal was asked about the future plan of the government as an amendment to the 2023 women's quota law was defeated in the Lok Sabha in April.
The Constitution amendment bill sought to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from the present 543 to a maximum of 850 before the next parliamentary polls in 2029.
On April 17, during an extended sitting of Parliament, the Constitution amendment bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha was defeated in the Lower House, with 298 members voting in support of the bill and 230 MPs voting against it. Out of the 528 members who voted, the bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.
According to the bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in states and UT assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
(With inputs from PTI)