Delhi Assembly special session on April 28 over women’s quota

A special session of the Delhi Assembly will be held on April 28 to discuss the women’s reservation issue after related bills were defeated in the Lok Sabha by the Opposition.

The BJP has accused the Opposition of betraying women, and several party-ruled states have called similar special assembly sessions to discuss the issue.

A Delhi Assembly secretariat statement said that the Fifth Session of the Eighth Legislative Assembly is scheduled to commence on Tuesday at 11 AM in the Assembly Hall.

In a related development, Delhi Assembly speaker Vijender Gupta also shared that the Lieutenant Governor has prorogued the Fourth Session of the Eighth Legislative Assembly with immediate effect.

This formal order brings an official end to the prolonged Sessions that had been ongoing, allowing for a structured transition into the new session. Officials said that the session was likely to be one-day-long to take up the women’s quota bill discussion, but it could be extended further if required.

“After getting the approval of the LG, the notification has been issued in this regard to summon the Fifth Session of the Eighth Legislative Assembly,” the Delhi Assembly secretariat said in a statement. In light of recent bomb threats, the Secretariat has significantly bolstered security protocols across the premises.

Tight security measures and a comprehensive safety net have been established at the Old Secretariat to safeguard the members and staff during the session. The Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats of the Lok Sabha was defeated in the Lower House earlier this month.

The Congress and other opposition parties, which voted against the bill, alleged that the Government’s real agenda was to carry out delimitation before the caste census.

While 298 members voted in support of the Bill, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.