BJP issues whip, orders full attendance of MPs for April 16–18 special Parliament session

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday issued a three-line whip to all its members of parliament in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, directing mandatory attendance during a special Parliament session scheduled from April 16 to 18.

According to the party directive, all MPs, including Union ministers, have been instructed to remain present in the House throughout the three-day sitting. The whip states that attendance is compulsory and no leave will be granted during this period.




“A Three-Line Whip is being issued to all BJP Members in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha from Thursday to Saturday, 16th to 18th April 2026. All Hon’ble Union Ministers and Members are requested to remain present in the House throughout all three above-mentioned dates. Presence in the House is mandatory. No leave will be granted. Members are requested to strictly comply with the Whip and ensure their uninterrupted attendance in the House. Your cooperation is highly appreciated,” the letter said.

This comes as the Parliament is set to meet for a three-day special session from April 16, with a focus on the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill, with the government planning key amendments linked to implementation timelines. The 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Act had tied women’s reservation to the next census and delimitation exercise, but delays in the census have led to proposals to proceed using 2011 data, news agency ANI reported.

Meanwhile, Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging an all-party meeting before the session.

Kharge said the Opposition has not been taken into confidence and expressed concern over the lack of clarity on delimitation-related provisions, stating that “without details of the delimitation and other aspects, it would be impossible to have any useful discussion on this historic law.”Also See: Veteran singer Asha Bhosle passes away at age 92 - Check Live Updates