Rare house unity: Constitution amendment bill giving states powers to notify backward classes to see Opposition support

NEW DELHI:  Both Houses of Parliament may witness smooth functioning this week for the first time during the monsoon session as the Centre will introduce the Constitutional 127th Amendment Bill restoring powers of states to notify backward classes with full Opposition support as an exception.  

Floor leaders of the Opposition parties in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are scheduled to meet at 10 am at the office of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday to take the final call on the matter and discuss future strategy amid reports that the government may wind up the session early after passage of this bill.

The session is anyway scheduled to end on August 13.

Sources said all Opposition parties are on the same page on the importance of the bill, keeping in mind the Assembly elections scheduled early next year.

The Congress and other regional parties have been pressing the Centre for bringing an amendment to the 102nd Constitutional amendment Act to overturn the May 5 Supreme Court judgment that vests sole power with the Centre to identify the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) list.

“It is a very important issue and we have suggested that this bill be treated as an exception for participation in the discussion and passing,” said a senior Opposition leader, adding there is no stepping back on our demand for a discussion on Pegasus snoopgate.  

Both Houses have seen repeated disruptions since the start of the monsoon session on July 19 over the demand to discuss the use of Pegasus to spy on citizens.

For the Constitution to be amended, the bill must be passed in both Houses separately by absolute majority, which is more than 50% of the House strength, and a special majority of two-thirds of those present and voting. 

Restoring  state right to  notify OBCs

As a workaround to the SC directive, the Constitutional 127th Amendment Bill is expected to amend Articles 342 A — clauses 1 and 2 — and introduce clause 342 A (3) specifically authorising states to maintain their state list.

Relax 50 per cent cap: Uddhav

The Centre should also relax SC’s 50% quota ceiling, which is the stumbling block for Maratha reservation, says Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.