Congress Accuses Govt of Using Special Session to Amend Women’s Reservation Bill & Delimitation for Electoral Gain

<h2>Overview</h2> <p>The Indian National Congress on <strong>3 April 2026</strong> alleged that the Union government is convening a <span class="key-term" data-definition="special session — A parliamentary session convened outside the regular calendar, often to pass urgent legislation. (GS2: Polity)">special session</span> to amend the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 — A law enacted to reserve 33% seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, pending implementation after Census and delimitation. (GS2: Polity)">Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023</span> and to push a <span class="key-term" data-definition="delimitation — Redrawing of electoral constituency boundaries based on population data, affecting seat allocation in Parliament and state legislatures. (GS2: Polity)">delimitation</span> bill. The move, according to Congress, is timed to extract political mileage in the upcoming West Bengal and Tamil Nadu polls, thereby breaching the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Model Code of Conduct (MCC) — A set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission to regulate political parties' behavior during elections, restricting certain announcements and activities. (GS2: Polity)">Model Code of Conduct</span>.</p> <h3>Key Developments</h3> <ul> <li>Congress General Secretary (in‑charge Communications) <strong>Jairam Ramesh</strong> warned that a rushed <span class="key-term" data-definition="delimitation — Redrawing of electoral constituency boundaries based on population data, affecting seat allocation in Parliament and state legislatures. (GS2: Polity)">delimitation</span> could have "dangerous consequences" for smaller states, especially in the South, Northeast and West.</li> <li>Unverified reports suggest a proportional increase in <span class="key-term" data-definition="Lok Sabha — The lower house of India’s Parliament, currently with 543 elected members, whose strength can be altered only by constitutional amendment. (GS2: Polity)">Lok Sabha</span> seats, raising Uttar Pradesh’s strength to <strong>120</strong> while Kerala may rise only to <strong>30</strong>.</li> <li>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Budget session — The annual parliamentary session during which the Union Budget is presented and financial legislation is debated. (GS2: Polity)">Budget session</span> is slated to reconvene on <strong>16 April 2026</strong> for three days (16‑18 April) to consider the bills.</li> <li>Opposition leaders <strong>Mallikarjun Kharge</strong> and <strong>Rahul Gandhi</strong> plan a senior Congress MP meeting before <strong>16 April</strong>, followed by a broader opposition strategy session before <strong>16 April</strong>.</li> <li>Parliamentary Affairs Minister <strong>Kiren Rijiju</strong> has exchanged letters with Congress demanding an all‑party meeting after <strong>29 April 2026</strong>, citing the ongoing <span class="key-term" data-definition="Model Code of Conduct (MCC) — A set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission to regulate political parties' behavior during elections, restricting certain announcements and activities. (GS2: Polity)">MCC</span>.</li> </ul> <h3>Important Facts</h3> <ul> <li>The government aims to increase <span class="key-term" data-definition="Lok Sabha — The lower house of India’s Parliament, currently with 543 elected members, whose strength can be altered only by constitutional amendment. (GS2: Polity)">Lok Sabha</span> seats from **543 to 816** to facilitate the implementation of the women’s reservation law.</li> <li>The women’s quota law was passed in **September 2023**, with the government initially stating implementation would follow the Census and <span class="key-term" data-definition="delimitation — Redrawing of electoral constituency boundaries based on population data, affecting seat allocation in Parliament and state legislatures. (GS2: Polity)">delimitation</span>.</li> <li>Congress argues the government “slept” for **30 months** after the law’s passage, now seeking “double credit” during the election season.</li> <li>Election dates: <strong>Puducherry, Assam, Kerala – 9 April 2026</strong>; <strong>West Bengal – 23 & 29 April 2026</strong>; <strong>Tamil Nadu – 23 April 2026</strong>.</li> </ul> <h3>UPSC Relevance</h3> <p>Understanding this controversy touches upon several GS papers:</p> <ul> <li><strong>GS 2 – Polity:</strong> Constitutional amendment procedures, the role of Parliament, the functioning of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Lok Sabha — The lower house of India’s Parliament, currently with 543 elected members, whose strength can be altered only by constitutional amendment. (GS2: Polity)">Lok Sabha</span>, and the legal framework of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Model Code of Conduct (MCC) — A set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission to regulate political parties' behavior during elections, restricting certain announcements and activities. (GS2: Polity)">Model Code of Conduct</span>.</li> <li><strong>GS 3 – Economy & Development:</strong> Impact of increasing parliamentary seats on fiscal allocations, representation, and regional balance.</li> <li><strong>GS 4 – Ethics & Integrity:</strong> Ethical considerations of using legislative processes for electoral advantage.</li> </ul> <h3>Way Forward</h3> <p>Analysts suggest the following steps for a balanced resolution:</p> <ul> <li>Convene an <strong>all‑party meeting after 29 April 2026</strong> to discuss the timing of the women’s reservation amendment and the delimitation bill, ensuring compliance with the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Model Code of Conduct (MCC) — A set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission to regulate political parties' behavior during elections, restricting certain announcements and activities. (GS2: Polity)">MCC</span>.</li> <li>Separate the two issues: first, pass the constitutional amendment for women’s reservation; second, address delimitation after the next Census, respecting the demographic realities of smaller states.</li> <li>Establish a bipartisan committee to examine the proposed increase in <span class="key-term" data-definition="Lok Sabha — The lower house of India’s Parliament, currently with 543 elected members, whose strength can be altered only by constitutional amendment. (GS2: Polity)">Lok Sabha</span> seats, ensuring equitable representation across regions.</li> <li>Maintain transparency in parliamentary proceedings to avoid perceptions of political mileage‑driven legislation.</li> </ul> <p>These measures would uphold democratic norms, protect the spirit of the women’s reservation law, and prevent regional disparities in representation.</p>