Congress MP P Chidambaram has criticised the proposed special session of Parliament scheduled from April 16 to 18, terming the move “mischievous” and urging opposition to it.
In a post on X, Chidambaram pointed out that polling in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal is scheduled for April 23, with an additional phase in West Bengal on April 29. He said Members of Parliament from these states would be required to remain in their constituencies in the days leading up to the elections.
He noted that 39 MPs from Tamil Nadu and 28 from West Bengal sit on the Opposition benches in the Lok Sabha and are likely to be engaged in election-related responsibilities during the proposed session dates.
The proposal to convene Parliament on April 16-18 is mischievous and must be opposed
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) April 5, 2026
Polling in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are scheduled on April 23 (and April 29 in WB)
39 MPs of TN and 28 MPs of WB are in the Opposition benches in the Lok Sabha. They will be fully engaged in…
Chidambaram questioned how these 67 MPs would be able to participate in parliamentary proceedings or vote on key legislation, particularly if constitutional amendment bills are taken up during the session.
“The proposal to convene Parliament on April 16-18 is mischievous and must be opposed… If critical Constitution Amendment Bills are brought to discussion and to vote on those dates, how will these 67 MPs in the Lok Sabha participate and vote? I suspect that the design is to exclude these MPs,” he said.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju announced that Parliament will convene a special session beginning April 16 to take up the Women’s Reservation Bill.
Since the drafts of the Bills that the government proposes to introduce in Parliament on April 16-18 have not been revealed, I cannot comment on the substance of the Bills
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) April 5, 2026
But the Hon'ble Prime Minister's speech yesterday gives a hint on what the Bills are likely to contain…
Rijiju said the government remains committed to women’s empowerment and called for political consensus on the issue. He added that political parties should come together in support of the legislation.
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