New Delhi: Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram on Sunday criticized the Centre’s decision to convene Parliament days before voting for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.In a social media post, Chidambaram described the Centre’s proposal as “mischievous” and alleged that it was designed to exclude MPs from discussing and voting on important constitutional amendment bills.“The proposal to convene Parliament on April 16-18 is mischievous and should be opposed. Voting is to be held in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal on April 23 (and April 29 in West Bengal),” the veteran leader said.“39 MPs from Tamil Nadu and 28 MPs from West Bengal are in the opposition in the Lok Sabha. They will be fully engaged in their constituencies during 16-18 April. If important Constitution amendment bills are brought up for discussion and voting on those dates, how will these 67 MPs in the Lok Sabha participate and vote? “I suspect the plan is to oust these MPs.”The budget session of Parliament will resume from April 16 to pass the bill to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816.The government is considering introducing at least two bills, including constitutional amendments, in the current session of Parliament to implement reservation of one-third seats for women in the next Lok Sabha elections and subsequent assembly elections.The move promises to change the country’s political landscape and put an official seal of approval on PM Modi’s much-touted agenda of women empowerment as the campaign for the four state assemblies gathers pace.If the government gets its way, the number of seats in the Lok Sabha will increase by 50% to 816 from the current 543, with an increase of 273 seats set aside for women, ensuring that existing political dynamics and outgoing MPs, the majority of whom are men, will not be set loose due to a new size order. According to this, the majority figure will reach 409.According to news agency PTI, both houses will reconvene for two or three days to consider the proposed law.Although the ruling NDA does not have the strength to get the bill passed on its own, the government seems keen to get it passed during the budget session ending on April 4.For the first time in five decades, the strength of the Lok Sabha will increase. There will be no impact on the strength of Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils in the states.