New Delhi The government has made a fresh push to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill for 33% women’s reservation in legislatures and to increase Lok Sabha seats to 816. As part of the outreach, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, but did not get any commitment from Congress. The move comes nearly four months after a similar attempt failed due to lack of numbers. What The Bill Proposes 33% Women’s Reservation: To be implemented in 2029 after a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. Increase In Seats: Lok Sabha seats to go up from 543 to 816. Seats in state assemblies and UT assemblies will also be increased to accommodate women’s quota. New Clause Being Considered: Each state’s existing Lok Sabha seats may be increased by 50%, irrespective of population, to address concerns of southern states. Govt Outreach Plan Rijiju has also reached out to NDA allies and plans to meet other opposition leaders including SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and DMK leadership. The meeting with Gandhi lasted about 50 minutes. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Gaurav Gogoi and KC Venugopal also joined later. Congress raised demands for a Home Minister’s statement on police action against NEET protesting students and a discussion on alleged donation theft at Ayodhya Ram Temple. Govt floor managers are trying to reintroduce the tweaked Bill next week. The Monsoon session ends on August 13, 2026. Rijiju clarified there is no proposal for a special session from Aug 16-18. Numbers Game In Lok Sabha Last April, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was defeated with 298 votes in favour and 230 against. A constitutional amendment needs a two-thirds majority. Current Strength: NDA: 299, after 7 Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs merged with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena NCPI: 20 MPs. If all vote with govt, NDA tally could reach 319 Required: 360 votes for passage DMK: Now out of INDIA bloc. With 22 Lok Sabha and 8 Rajya Sabha MPs, it is the 3rd largest opposition in Lok Sabha. Its support could be crucial. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said MPs from Tamil Nadu discussed the Bill and flagged concerns that delimitation based on population will put southern states and Odisha “on the backfoot”. He said states that controlled population should not be penalised. Other Updates Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to speak in Parliament during the discussion on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. Since the session began on July 20, Opposition protests over NEET paper leak and Ayodhya temple donations have disrupted proceedings. Five bills have been passed without discussion. Post navigation 18 Prominent Leaders, Including Former IAS-IPS Officers, Join Congress
