Congress questions delay in LS prorogation, asks if Shah still seeking 2/3rd majority for delimitation bill

Parliament's Monsoon Session Remains Formally Open

Ten days after both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die on August 13, the Monsoon session has not yet been formally prorogued. As of Sunday morning, no prorogation notification had been issued, a departure from the usual practice where the session is formally ended within three to four days, according to multiple reports. The Budget session, for instance, ended on April 18 and was prorogued two days later.

The delay has given rise to speculation that the government may be keeping its options open to pass a key piece of legislation without convening a new session. Under constitutional provisions, the President summons and prorogues Parliament on the recommendation of the government.

Congress Questions the Delay

The Congress on Sunday raised questions over the session not being prorogued even 10 days after it was adjourned sine die. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on social media platform X that the time gap between the sine die adjournment of the Lok Sabha and its prorogation is generally two to four days, although there have been instances when both occurred on the very same day.

"Ten days have gone by since this Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die but still there is no information on its prorogation," Ramesh said, noting that while the gap was 28 days in 2015 and 20 days in 2021, "there were no diabolical moves afoot then."

He asked: "What explains the abnormal delay now? Is the Union Home Minister still in search of his tainted 2/3rd majority to get the Constitutional Amendment Bill on Delimitation passed in a Special Session?"

Ramesh also shared a page from M.N. Kaul and S.L. Shakdher's "Practice and Procedure of Parliament," which explains that prorogation is the termination of a session by the President under Article 85(2), acting on the advice of the Prime Minister.

The Delimitation Bill and Women's Reservation

Speculation has centered on a possible move to bring a bill to amend the women's reservation law to ensure its implementation before the 2029 parliamentary polls. An earlier attempt during the Budget session failed as the government could not secure the required numbers. The Constitution Amendment Bill on Delimitation, linked to women's reservation, was defeated in the Lower House on April 17, with 298 votes in favor and 230 against, falling short of the 352 votes needed for a two-thirds majority.

To address concerns from southern states, where opposition parties worry that population-based delimitation would reduce their representation in the Lok Sabha, the government has reportedly worked on a formula to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats across states and Union territories by a uniform 50 percent. There have been strong suggestions that the government could seek passage of the bill after Independence Day.

However, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government has not committed to a fixed timeline for bringing the legislation again. "When did we say we were going to bring the bill? Yes, there was speculation in the media. As for when we are to bring it, our leadership will decide that after complete deliberation," he said.

Southern Leaders Raise Concerns

At a Southern Zonal Council meeting on August 21, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay raised the issue, urging legislative assurance that no state would lose representation in the Lok Sabha. This marks a shift from his earlier opposition. Karnataka Chief Minister Shivakumar demanded that the current strength of 543 seats be retained for 25 years.

Congress Demands and Government Denial

The Congress has called for freezing the Lok Sabha at its current strength of 543 seats for 25 years and implementing 33 percent reservation for women from the 2029 elections. A Congress Working Committee resolution reiterated these demands. The party also accused Prime Minister Modi of using women's reservation as "drama" with an agenda of "Modi preservation."

Meanwhile, the government has denied any plans to convene a special session to pass the delimitation-linked bill.

Session Washed Out

The Monsoon session, which began on July 20, was largely washed out amid an impasse between the government and the opposition over issues including alleged Delhi Police brutality against students during their march to Parliament on the first day of the session and the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, as reported by The Times of India.