The central government is reportedly gearing up to reintroduce the Women's Reservation and Delimitation Bill in the Lok Sabha. According to recent reports, the government is preparing this bill from a fresh perspective, aiming to bring it as a constitutional amendment. The revised version of the bill is expected to include specific provisions, such as 33 percent reservation for women and 20 percent reservation for Dalits. This move comes after a previous attempt to pass the bill faced significant hurdles due to the lack of a two-thirds majority in the lower house of Parliament. The government is now focusing on a revised strategy to ensure that the bill successfully navigates the legislative process this time.
The Constitutional Requirement for a Two-Thirds Majority
Passing a constitutional amendment bill is a complex legislative process in India. It requires the support of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. In the previous instance in April 2026, the Delimitation and Women's Reservation Bill couldn't be passed because the government failed to secure this mandatory majority. For the bill to be successfully enacted, the support of 352 members in the Lok Sabha is essential. During the vote in April 2026, 298 votes were cast in favor of the bill, while 230 votes were cast against it. Since the requirement was 352 votes, the bill failed to move forward. The government is now meticulously planning its strategy to bridge the gap and ensure the bill's passage.
Understanding Delimitation and Women's Reservation
Delimitation refers to the process of redefining the boundaries of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies, while the government periodically conducts delimitation to ensure that the boundaries reflect changes in population and other demographic factors. The Modi government's current objective is to implement women's reservation effectively after the delimitation process is completed. While the government has already passed a version of the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament, which reserves 33 percent of total seats for women, the integration with delimitation is a key step. In the bill presented in April 2026, there was a proposal to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850. However, the current revised bill has not yet disclosed the specific number of seats, though it's suggested that the existing reservation system for Dalits and Tribals will remain unchanged.
The Current Numbers Game in Lok Sabha
The challenge for the BJP lies in securing the necessary 352 votes in the Lok Sabha. Following splits in parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the strength of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has reached 319 MPs. To reach the target of 352, the NDA still needs the support of 33 more MPs. On the other hand, the INDIA alliance currently has 208 MPs, with the support of 2 independent members. In the Rajya Sabha, the BJP is close to the two-thirds mark, needing only about 10 more MPs, but the gap in the Lok Sabha remains a significant hurdle that requires strategic political maneuvering.
Four Key Strategies to Secure the Majority
The government is looking at several avenues to gather the required support, while first, there are 16 MPs from other parties, including 4 from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh and 7 independent MPs. YSRCP members have previously shown a tendency to shift their stance, and NDA ally Chandrababu Naidu, the current Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, is actively working to secure support for the bill. Second, the NDA is keeping a close eye on the DMK, which has 22 MPs. The DMK recently boycotted an INDIA alliance meeting and has a history of being part of the NDA during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee era. There are reports of friction between the DMK and the Congress following the loss of power in Tamil Nadu.
Potential Shifts in NCP and Congress
The third strategy involves the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar. There are ongoing discussions about potential splits within the party, similar to what happened with the Shiv Sena. The NCP currently holds 8 Lok Sabha seats, and if these MPs were to shift their support, it would bring the NDA much closer to the two-thirds majority. Finally, the government is also looking at potential defections within the Congress party. A historical precedent cited is the case of Bhubaneswar Kalita during the removal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Kalita, a Rajya Sabha MP from Congress, resigned at a critical moment, preventing the party from issuing a whip and allowing the BJP to pass the bill easily. Kalita later joined the BJP, and the government may look for similar opportunities to secure the necessary votes for the Women's Reservation and Delimitation Bill.