No Plan For Special Parliament Session On Delimitation, Women's Quota Bills: Kiren Rijiju Dismisses Reports

New Delhi: Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, has dismissed reports claiming that the Centre is likely to convene a special session of Parliament beginning August 16 to take up the long-pending delimitation and women’s reservation amendment bills.

Kiren Rijiju told ANI, "No proposal to extend any dates of Parliament Session, no Special Session from August 16 to 18 on Women’s Reservation and Delimitation Bills." 

The ongoing Monsoon Session is scheduled to conclude on August 13. The reports said that Parliament may not be formally prorogued after that date, enabling the government to reconvene the Houses at short notice once it is confident of securing the required numbers and the proposed three-day special sitting would mark a second attempt to pass the legislative package. 

In April 2026, the government had introduced the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill along with the Delimitation Bill and related measures during a short special session. The constitutional amendment, which requires a two-thirds majority, failed to clear the Lok Sabha, leading the government to withdraw the companion bills.

The bills seek to enable a fresh delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census, expand the strength of the Lok Sabha (potentially up to around 850 seats), and operationalise 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies ahead of the 2029 general elections. The 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam had linked women’s reservation to a future delimitation exercise after the first census post-2026; the proposed amendments aim to delink that timeline.

Rijiju's clarification comes in the wake of continued adjournments and friction in the Monsoon Session, which runs from July 20 to August 13, driven by opposition demands regarding the presence of top government leadership during House proceedings.

Amid the ongoing legislative stalemate, a high-level consultation took place within the Parliament complex. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju met with Leader of the Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi in his chamber, alongside senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi. During the 50-minute meeting, Rijiju sought to understand the principal opposition party's stance on the contentious Delimitation Bill and related legislative frameworks.

Parallel to the high-stakes political negotiations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his outreach to parliamentarians, hosting a breakfast meeting for around 37 newly elected and cross-over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MPs at his official residence. The informal interaction featured discussions on parliamentary discipline, grassroots engagement, and personal experiences in public life.

With the government confirming that no special August window has been scheduled, attention remains focused on the remainder of the regular monsoon calendar as both sides attempt to break procedural gridlocks.

(With inputs from ANI)