New Delhi: The Monsoon Session of Parliament is set to begin on Monday. This session is expected to be a heated one, with the ruling coalition and the opposition likely to lock horns. The government may table the Delimitation Bill during this session, and the NDA is actively working to garner the necessary support for it.
Top NDA leaders have their eyes on opposition MPs. The DMK’s stance on the Delimitation Bill has become a topic of discussion. RSP MP N.K. Premachandran claimed that the DMK has fully supported the Delimitation Bill. However, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva stated clearly that the government has not yet presented a concrete proposal; the party requires further clarity from the government on this issue.
Why the DMK spoke up on women’s reservation
Sources indicate that the DMK clearly stated in a meeting that women’s reservation should be implemented immediately based on the current number of Lok Sabha seats, without linking it to the delimitation process. Furthermore, the DMK made it clear that any compromise on the interests of South Indian states in the new Delimitation Bill would be unacceptable.
The party maintains that the government must first present a clear proposal. If the new delimitation process adversely affects South India’s political representation, the move should be deferred for the next 25 years.
What does the DMK want?
According to sources, the DMK wants the bill to explicitly provide for a 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats—a measure Union Home Minister Amit Shah had verbally assured in the Lok Sabha. The party says that if this provision is included in the bill, it might adopt a positive stance.
Will the Delimitation Bill be tabled?
The central government has not included this bill in the list of items to be tabled during the Monsoon Session. However, sources suggest that when the time is right, the government will have sufficient support to pass the bill. Meanwhile, the DMK’s stance on the delimitation bill has softened over the past few months. This shift in the party’s position is expected to significantly alter the political equations in Parliament. The DMK’s stance is also considered crucial for the BJP-led NDA, which is striving to secure the two-thirds majority required for a constitutional amendment.
What is the schedule for the Monsoon Session?
For your information, the Monsoon Session is set to begin on July 20 and will continue until August 13. Over the course of these 23 days, considerable activity and heated exchanges are likely to be witnessed in both Houses of Parliament—the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The government convened an all-party meeting regarding the session, during which an appeal was made to the opposition for their cooperation on certain issues.
