New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a mandatory three-line whip to all its Members of Parliament in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, directing their presence throughout a special three-day sitting of Parliament scheduled from April 16 to 18, 2026. The government has extended the Budget session specifically to address critical legislative business, with the party leadership explicitly stating that no leave will be granted during this period. The directive underscores the high stakes of the upcoming session, where the Modi government is expected to move pivotal amendments to the Women’s Reservation Act.
The Union Cabinet is understood to have cleared draft bills on Wednesday, April 8, aimed at accelerating the implementation of the women’s quota ahead of the 2029 parliamentary elections. Central to this proposed legislation is a significant restructuring of the lower house, with plans to increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats to 816. Under this new framework, 273 seats would be strictly reserved for women, fulfilling a long-standing constitutional promise of 33 per cent representation in the legislature.
This special sitting is seen as a decisive move to bypass previous delays and finalize the legal framework for seat delimitation and reservation. By issuing the strictest form of whip, the BJP is ensuring maximum floor strength to navigate potential parliamentary hurdles and secure the passage of these transformative amendments. Union Ministers and MPs have been instructed to maintain uninterrupted attendance, signaling the government’s intent to treat this as a landmark moment in its current term.
