Union Minister Kiren Rijiju called Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday to seek support for the women’s reservation and delimitation bill, according to sources. The call was part of a series of recent communications, with the minister also meeting Gandhi twice in the past ten days to facilitate smooth functioning of the House.
During the conversation, Rijiju described the discussion as productive and said he had raised several specific issues. He added that the government expects continued dialogue and coordinated action with the Congress and other opposition parties. Gandhi, however, insisted that the government convene an all‑party meeting on the proposed legislation before it could be passed.
The parliamentary affairs minister declined to commit to an all‑party meeting, but confirmed that the government is pursuing consensus on the bill. Rijiju emphasized that, despite being political opponents, the parties are not enemies and should work together for the national interest.
The bill seeks to amend the Constitution to implement a 33 per cent reservation for women in all legislatures by 2029 and to redraw Lok Sabha constituencies, increasing the number of seats to 816 based on the 2011 Census. The government is also planning to raise seats in state and union territory assemblies to accommodate the reservation.
Rijiju said the government will attempt to reintroduce the bill next week, with four working days left in the monsoon session before its closure on 13 August. He ruled out a special session, noting that a three‑day sitting in April had previously failed to secure the bill’s passage.
