New Delhi

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Friday questioned the government's rationale for convening a special Parliament session starting April 16, noting that all opposition parties had earlier requested an all-party meeting on April 29.

Addressing a press conference, Ramesh said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had received a letter from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on March 16 seeking discussions on proposed amendments to the Women's Reservation Bill, 2023. Kharge responded the same day, requesting that Rijiju submit the proposals in writing and convene an all-party meeting to discuss the matter collectively.

"A three-day special session of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is scheduled for April 16, 17, and 18... On March 16, Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, wrote to the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, stating that he wants to have a discussion with the Congress party. They wanted to make some amendments to the Women's Reservation Bill, 2023. This letter arrived from Kiren Rijiju on 16 March," Jairam Ramesh said.

"Kharge ji replied to Kiren Rijiju on the same day, saying, "I have received your letter, but please call an all-party meeting. Call all opposition parties together, and we will discuss it. Please submit your proposal in writing."

Ramesh pointed out that on March 24th, all opposition parties, except Trinamool Congress, agreed with this letter.

"Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and all the leaders wrote back to Kiren Rijiju, saying, "You want to amend the Constitution. Please call an all-party meeting." On March 24, all the opposition parties unanimously said that an all-party meeting should be called after April 29," he added.

Ramesh further clarified that on March 24, all opposition parties agreed with Kharge's suggestion to hold the all-party meeting after April 29, citing the ongoing election campaigns and the Model Code of Conduct in effect until that date, despite this consensus, Rijiju reiterated the government's request on March 26, Ramesh claimed adding that "Kharge maintained that any discussion should involve all opposition parties collectively."

Ramesh pointed out that the government had already decided to schedule a special session on April 16-18, during the election campaign period in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, effectively bypassing the opposition's request for a later meeting.

"Within half an hour, Mallikarjun Kharge sent a reply to Kiren Rijiju, reiterating his earlier stance: Invite all parties. He emphasised that the All-Party Meeting must be a collective exercise, meaning that all parties should be present together... The government had already made up its mind. Their primary objective was to convene a Special Session on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th April... Since this exchange of letters continued for 8 ro 9 days, the government ultimately took a unilateral decision: that a special session would be convened on the 16th, 17th, and 18th, precisely when elections are scheduled to take place in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, and that this session would be held during the election campaign period, while the Model Code of Conduct is in force," he said.

He also highlighted that while the special session has been officially linked to the Women's Reservation Bill, it is now clear that the agenda also includes issues related to delimitation. Amendments to the Women's Reservation Bill are expected to be introduced over a timeframe of 30 months, and constitutional changes concerning delimitation will also be undertaken.

According to a Congress leader, no discussions regarding delimitation had taken place so far, but both subjects--amendments to the Women's Reservation Bill and delimitation--will feature prominently during the three-day special session, underscoring the broader implications of the government's scheduling decision.

The government is planning to bring an amendment bill to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 from 543 seats. The idea is to have at least 273 seats reserved for women. According to sources, the key agenda may include amendments to the 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Act and the introduction of the Delimitation Commission Bill.

The sources said that the Centre has planned to take the 2011 census as the basis for delimitation and seat redistribution.

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Currently, the Lok Sabha has 543 seats. With a proposed 50 per cent increase, the number of seats will rise to 816, with 273 (about a third) reserved for women.

The opposition has raised concerns over the delimitation exercise, flagging a risk of southern states being "pushed to political margins" as the northern states may gain more seats in the Lok Sabha expansion.