NEW DELHI, JUL 12 (AGENCIES): The NDA government is set to face a crucial legislative test during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament as key Constitution Amendment Bills come up for consideration, requiring the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority in both Houses.
The Session will take place from July 20 to August 13. The government has convened an all-party meeting on July 19, with the government expected to outline its legislative agenda and the opposition parties likely to spell out the issues they intend to raise during the session.
With the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) expected to adopt and submit its report, the government will need support beyond a simple majority to secure passage of the proposed constitutional amendments under Article 368. With the Lok Sabha’s effective strength currently at 540, a constitutional amendment requires not only a simple majority but the support of two-thirds of members present and voting. If all 540 members vote, at least 360 votes would be required. Even with lower attendance, the threshold remains high.
Although NDA’s strength has crossed the 300-mark following recent defections and support from former MPs of the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), it remains short of an assured two-thirds majority. The Rajya Sabha also presents a similar challenge, making the support or abstention of regional parties and Opposition members crucial.
Among the key proposals is the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, which seeks to suspend the Prime Minister, Union ministers, chief ministers and state ministers if they remain in judicial custody for more than 30 consecutive days in cases punishable with imprisonment of at least five years.
The JPC has proposed five major changes to the Bill. These include replacing the term “removal” with “suspension”, defining “serious criminal offences” as those carrying a minimum five-year sentence, providing for automatic reinstatement upon acquittal or discharge, setting up fast-track courts for cases involving ministers, and introducing a separate schedule listing offences that would trigger suspension.
Opposition members of the committee, led by Asaduddin Owaisi and Supriya Sule, are expected to submit dissent notes, expressing concern that investigative agencies could be misused against political opponents, upsetting the federal balance. They have also questioned the absence of clarity on reinstatement after bail and the lack of a clearly defined list of offences covered by the proposed law.
Delimitation: Another major proposal is the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which seeks to increase the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha, carry out delimitation based on the 2011 Census and operationalise the women’s reservation law before the 2029 general election.
While the Centre maintains that the Bill is necessary to implement the women’s quota enacted in 2023, the Opposition has alleged that the real objective is redistribution of parliamentary seats in favour of more populous northern states.
The government’s broader constitutional reform agenda also includes the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill on One Nation, One Election (ONOE), which remains under examination by a 39-member Joint Parliamentary Committee headed by BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has argued that frequent elections hinder development, while Chaudhary has described simultaneous elections as a historic electoral reform.
However, constitutional experts remain divided, with former Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud reportedly cautioning against granting the Election Commission sweeping powers to extend or curtail Assembly terms to implement the proposal.
Meanwhile the opposition is likely to raise the NEET-UG paper leak case and defence minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks on casualties in Operation Sindoor. The Congress has moved a breach of privilege notice against the Rajnath Singh.
