Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 15: Devendra Fadnavis has written to Members of Parliament from Maharashtra, urging them to support the Women’s Reservation Bill and be part of what he termed a “historic moment.”

Letters have reportedly been sent to MPs in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, as well as to leaders of major political parties, including Uddhav Thackeray, Harshvardhan Sapkal, Shashikant Shinde and Sunil Tatkare. Sources said the letters were dispatched two days ago.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed for unanimous passage of the bill, which seeks to provide 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies.

A special session of Parliament of India has been convened from April 16 to 18, during which the government is expected to introduce amendments aimed at implementing the law ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

According to reports, the government plans to bring in three bills focusing on women’s reservation and the delimitation of constituencies. The legislation, originally passed as the Nari Shakti Vandana Act in September 2023, is now set to be amended to expedite its rollout.

The proposed changes include increasing the total number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to around 850, with 815 seats allocated to states and 35 to Union Territories.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is expected to introduce the bills during the session.

However, the move has drawn criticism from the opposition. Jairam Ramesh accused the government of violating the model code of conduct by convening a special session at short notice. He noted that while the government had earlier indicated implementation post-2034 following a new census, the opposition had consistently pushed for earlier rollout.

The upcoming session is expected to witness intense debate as political parties deliberate on the timeline and framework for implementing women’s reservation in legislatures.