Delayed prorogation of Parliament sparks speculation over women's reservation bill

The Monsoon Session of Parliament remains formally unfinished even ten days after both Houses were adjourned sine die on August 13. A prorogation notification, which normally follows within three to four days, is yet to be issued as of Sunday morning, raising questions in political circles.

The delay has triggered speculation that the government may be planning to utilise the technically still-open session to pass a key piece of legislation without convening a fresh session. The focus has centred on a proposed constitutional amendment related to women's reservation in Parliament, linked to the upcoming delimitation of constituencies.

The Budget session concluded on April 18 and was prorogued two days later on April 20. According to constitutional provisions, the President convenes and prorogues sessions on the recommendation of the government. The current situation, therefore, leaves the government with the discretion to bring any bill for consideration within the existing session before it is formally prorogued.

The speculation about the women's reservation bill stems from an earlier failed attempt during the Budget session. The government could not muster the required numbers, with Opposition parties, especially from southern India, expressing concerns that a population-based delimitation exercise could reduce their representation in the Lok Sabha. To assuage these concerns, the government has reportedly worked on a formulation that would increase the number of Lok Sabha seats across states and Union territories by a uniform 50 per cent, a move intended to prevent any state from losing its proportional strength.

The Congress has questioned the unusual gap. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh noted that the time between sine die adjournment and prorogation is generally two to four days, though there are instances of both occurring on the same day. He pointed out that the gap was 28 days in 2015 and 20 days in 2021, but asserted that no such "diabolical" moves were afoot during those periods. "Ten days have gone by since this Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die but still there is no information on its prorogation," he said.

The issue also came up at the Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mahabalipuram on August 21, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin raised the matter, urging the Union government to provide a clear legislative assurance that no state would suffer a reduction in its percentage of representation in Parliament on account of its success in population stabilisation. His remarks indicated a shift from his earlier categorical opposition to delimitation through the resolution he moved in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on August 12.

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also attended the meeting, demanded that the central government retain the existing number of Lok Sabha seats at 543 for the next 25 years, reflecting continuing unease among southern states.

The technicality of prorogation is significant: once a session is prorogued, bills pending before the Lok Sabha lapse, while those in the Rajya Sabha do not. The prolonged delay in issuing the notification keeps the session legally alive, providing a window for legislative action without a new session. Political observers are now watching closely to see whether the government will use this window, as Parliament's calendar remains uncertain.