Will Modi bring ‘The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, 2008’ in spl parliament session?
PM Narendra Modi at ISRO
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, August 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to busy the people in the guess work as his wont that has been demonstrated in most of his decisions. The government has sprung another surprise by calling a special session of parliament for five days, beginning September 18 by when Modi government will be free of the engagements of the G20 presidency.
Political observers concur that the special session of parliament may have something to do with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and Modi may seek out to set the narrative for the polls. It’s being said that Modi may finally ink his name in the history book by pushing the ‘Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, 2008’, which has not yet lapsed, and it can be simply moved to the Lok sabha.
Modi in his tenure has sought to build a special constituency among the women by putting them at the forefront in the delivery of some of the welfare schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, Ujjawala Yojna. Modi also spoke of supporting two crore women-led Self Help Groups (SHGs) from the ramparts of the Red Fort in his 10th address to the nation on the occasion of Independence Day.
Circumstantially, it may suggest that Modi will finally go for the 33 per cent reservation for women in legislature – parliament and assemblies. The bill will require passage with two-third majority in both the houses of parliament, and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may not find it difficult to get it going.
Also, the BJP by pushing the women reservation bill may divide the fledgling Opposition unity. It may be noted that Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress supports the women reservation in parliament and Assemblies. But Lalu Prasad Yadav and late Mulayam Singh Yadav had ensured that the bills, in 1997 and 2008, could never get the nod of parliament. The Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal may still find faults with the women reservation bill.
Politically, the women reservation bill has the potential to bring windfall of gains for the BJP, for the party could claim better credentials among half the population by listing out steps such as triple talaq bill and welfares schemes to gain their support in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Modi may also go for an ambitious narrative to blunt the Opposition unity, which seeks to force a one on one contest on the BJP, while the ruling dispensation will seek a third straight mandate in the face of rising number of negatives such as unemployment, price rise, Chinese aggression in Ladakh.
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