Union minister Kiren Rijiju called Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday to seek support for the women’s reservation and delimitation bill, but Gandhi insisted that the government convene an all‑party meeting on the proposed legislation. Sources said this was the second time in the last few days that Rijiju had spoken with the leader of opposition by phone, and that he had also met Gandhi twice in the past ten days to facilitate smooth functioning of the House.
During the conversation, Rijiju described the call as productive, noting that he had raised specific issues and other matters. He stressed that, despite being political opponents, the parties are not enemies and should work together for the national interest. Rijiju also addressed the opposition’s demand for Home Minister Amit Shah’s presence in the House, pointing out that the minister has been active in Parliament while his bill was under consideration.
The government is attempting to secure a consensus on a Constitution amendment that would implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures by 2029 and increase Lok Sabha seats to 816, based on the 2011 Census. It is reaching out to Congress, NDA allies and other opposition leaders such as Akhilesh Yadav and the DMK to gauge support for the reintroduction of the 131st Amendment. The plan also includes expanding state and union territory assemblies to accommodate the reservation.
Officials said the floor managers are working on a revised bill with tweaks to address concerns from southern states. The government intends to reintroduce the bill next week, with four working days remaining in the monsoon session before its closure on 13 August. Rijiju ruled out a special session after the Independence Day weekend, noting that a three‑day special sitting was convened in April for a similar bill that was defeated in Parliament. The new bill may contain a clause to increase existing Lok Sabha seats in each state by 50 per cent, regardless of population size.
