The ongoing Budget Session of Parliament may not conclude as scheduled on April 2, with the Centre likely to reconvene both Houses later this month for a short extension, according to a report.
Sources indicated that instead of adjourning sine die, the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are expected to adjourn proceedings with a plan to resume in the third week of April. The additional sitting is likely to last two to three days.
Plan To Expand Lok Sabha Seats
During the extended session, the government is expected to introduce a Constitution amendment bill to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from the current 543 to 816 seats.
The proposed expansion would include reserving at least 273 seats — around 33% — for women, in line with the provisions of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
The reservation framework is also expected to include quotas for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes within the women’s quota, ensuring broader representation.
Fast-Tracking Women’s Reservation
The move is seen as part of efforts to operationalise the women’s reservation law, which received assent from Droupadi Murmu in 2023.
However, the law’s implementation was originally tied to a fresh delimitation exercise after the next census. According to sources, the government is now exploring ways to implement reservations without waiting for both processes to be completed.
An ordinary bill to amend the Delimitation Act may also be introduced alongside the constitutional amendment.
Delimitation Based On 2011 Census?
The report suggests that constituency redrawing could be carried out using data from the 2011 Census instead of waiting for the next census cycle.
If implemented, similar expansion and reservation provisions may also be extended to state legislative assemblies on a proportional basis.
Timeline For Implementation
If Parliament clears the proposal, the changes could come into effect by March 31, 2029. This would allow the revised seat structure and reservation policy to be implemented in the next general elections, as well as upcoming assembly polls in states such as Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Andhra Pradesh.
Political Reactions Emerge
The proposal has already sparked criticism from the Opposition. The Congress has accused the government of attempting to “bulldoze” a bill that would expand the Lok Sabha by nearly 50%.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh warned that such a move could disproportionately affect representation of smaller states, particularly in southern, northeastern, and western regions.
No Official Confirmation Yet
As of now, the government has not officially confirmed the extension of the session or the proposed legislative agenda. However, the developments indicate a potentially significant shift in India’s parliamentary structure and representation framework.