A numbers game before winter: BJP wants a special Parliament date as old limits break to redraw India's electoral lines

The Narendra Modi-led BJP government might now be looking into turning a legislative defeat into a show of strength, with renewed discussions around a special session in Parliament before winter to push the delimitation-linked women's reservation bill.

The talks surrounding a renewed Parliament session ahead of winter, come as the BJP continues to work for widening its political support, rebuilding alliances ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections and build a response to the Opposition and youth-outfit led-protests that have brought opposition parties, students and farmers onto the streets.

In April, the government's Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which was looking to advance the implementation of 33% reservation for women in legislatures, fell short of the required two-thirds majority in the lower house. The government received 298 votes against the 352 required in the division, limiting the NDA's strength despite its majority.


As the year-end approaches, the government is again looking at the possibility of bringing the bill back, this time with a different assessment of the numbers.

According to a report by The Indian Express, a senior Union minister (not named by the publication) said that a special sitting could be convened before the Winter Session. A senior BJP MP told the newspaper that the government believed it could secure the required numbers, including by addressing concerns raised by parties such as the DMK.

The possibility of reconvening Parliament before the Winter Session has also been publicly acknowledged by Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. In an interview with India Today in August, he indicated the government might call in another sitting, saying the Monsoon Session had not been prolonged.

Asked specifically whether a special session was possible, he responded, "You can read both ways." While he stopped short of confirming any such plan, his remarks offered an early public indication that the government was keeping the option open.

A busy electoral calendar ahead

Seven states — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh — are scheduled to go to the polls in 2027. Elections in the first five are expected in February-March, while Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will vote towards the end of the year.

The BJP governs five of these states, while Punjab is ruled by the AAP and Himachal Pradesh by the Congress. Uttar Pradesh, with 403 Assembly seats, will be particularly important for the BJP, which will face the Samajwadi Party and its allies.

A successful passage of the women's reservation and delimitation package would give the government a major legislative outcome to present ahead of these contests. It would also allow the BJP to argue that it has secured support beyond its formal alliance for a significant constitutional change.

The legislation, however, remains contentious, particularly in southern states, where parties have sought guarantees that population control will not translate into reduced political representation. The BJP's efforts to engage the DMK and other non-NDA parties will therefore be central to the negotiations.

The government has not officially announced a special session, and the possibility of taking up the Bills during the Winter Session remains open.

The arithmetic behind the renewed push

The NDA alliance currently has 320 members in the Lok Sabha and 155 in the Rajya Sabha, reportedly. With all members, it still remains 40 short in the lower house and six in the upper house, to reach the required two-thirds majority.

Securing support from the DMK still remains a hurdle for the NDA, as the party is seeking a written assurance from the Centre that Tamil Nadu's share of parliamentary representation would not decline. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has also sought a legislative guarantee that southern states will not lose their relative representation for having stabilised population growth.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has challenged the government's assessment. In September, he said the NDA remained at least 26 members short of the required majority and accused the government of repeatedly floating reports of a special session. In November, he alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah had informally told journalists that a three-day special session would be called and the Bills would pass by a margin of 15–18 votes. The claim about Shah's remarks has not been independently confirmed.

The government is also approaching the second attempt against a changing political backdrop. The opposition remains opposed to linking the implementation of women's reservation with delimitation.

The Samajwadi Party's 37 Lok Sabha MPs had voted against the constitutional amendment in April. BJP leaders have suggested that the party may find it difficult to oppose a delimitation exercise that could increase Uttar Pradesh's representation.

The BJP is also pointing to changes in the opposition's parliamentary strength, including the resignation of National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, which has reduced the number of votes available to the Opposition.

The TMC split after the West Bengal election upset has further altered the arithmetic in the Lok Sabha by potentially shifting 20 of its 28 MPs into the NDA's support column. The breakaway group, which has merged with the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), has indicated its willingness to back the government on key legislation.

The Akali Dal factor and Punjab calculation

One of the more significant political developments since the April defeat has been the renewed engagement between the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), its former ally in Punjab. The two parties, which ended their decades-old alliance in 2020 over the three farm laws, are now discussing a possible reunion ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. It has been reported that SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal is expected to meet Amit Shah.

Sukhbir met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 7, following which the SAD backed the Centre's women's reservation legislation and its proposed 50% increase in Assembly seats. Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal subsequently indicated the possibility of an alliance.

Shah has also publicly spoken about an NDA government in Punjab. Addressing an event in October, he said people had decided to bring the NDA to power in the state and promised to eliminate the drug trade by 2029. Sukhbir, meanwhile, has said the SAD is open to an alliance with any party that accepts its ideology and policies. He has ruled out an alliance with AAP or Congress.

A government facing pressure on multiple fronts

The renewed legislative push also comes as the government faces sustained protests over issues ranging from examination irregularities to electoral rolls and agricultural policy. Opposition parties, student groups and farmers' organisations had come together to protest against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Opposition parties allege that legitimate voters have been excluded and have demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Election Commission has defended the exercise, saying it is intended to remove duplicate, deceased and ineligible voters, and has denied any political bias.

The protests have also drawn support from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the farmers' coalition that led the year-long agitation against the farm laws, as well as student groups and civil society organisations.

This comes after a setback for the government in July, when youth-led protests over examination paper leak led to the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The movement, organised under the Cockroach Janta Party banner, had drawn tens of thousands of young people onto the streets.

Authorities have also tightened security around demonstrations. On October 10, police detained thousands of protesters and restricted access to parts of Delhi ahead of a planned youth demonstration at Jantar Mantar.