The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its efforts to garner support for the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which seeks to implement women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies. Ahead of Parliament’s Monsoon Session beginning on July 20, the party is working to strengthen its numbers and build wider political support before the legislation is tabled again. The Bill, which could not secure the required two-thirds majority during Parliament’s special session in April, is a key part of the BJP’s ‘Mission 360’ initiative.
According to sources, the party believes the current political environment is more favourable than it was a few months ago, and has held a series of high-level meetings to discuss its Parliamentary strategy. One such meeting was held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, attended by BJP President Nitin Nabin, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santhosh.
The discussions have reportedly focused on the stance of parties such as the DMK, whose 22 MPs could play a significant role despite the party’s earlier opposition to delimitation. The Lok Sabha currently has an effective strength of 540 members, meaning any constitutional amendment requires the support of at least 360 MPs. Political estimates suggest the NDA currently commands the backing of around 293 MPs.
Support from the 20 MPs of the NCPI (who broke away from the Trinamool Congress), 22 DMK MPs, four YSRCP MPs, and one Independent could potentially raise the tally to around 340. The BJP is also factoring in recent political developments in Maharashtra, where six MPs are believed to have shifted from Shiv Sena-UBT to the Eknath Shinde-led faction, taking the NDA’s strength to around 346. If Sharad Pawar’s party, with eight MPs, backs the legislation, the alliance’s tally could reach around 354, leaving it six MPs short of the required majority.
Sources indicate that Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav has signalled that his party could support the proposed Women’s Reservation and Delimitation Bills, but only if certain conditions are met. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut has indicated that his party may extend issue-based support to the legislation if its concerns are addressed. The Centre has convened an all-party meeting on July 19 to discuss the government’s legislative agenda, and Home Minister Amit Shah is believed to have held multiple political meetings with key NDA leaders.
Furthermore, the BJP is exploring the possibility of securing support from a few MPs who are currently with Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee to close the remaining gap. Prime Minister Modi is expected to address alliance MPs at the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting on July 21.
