Kharge writes to PM Modi, seeks all-party meeting before revised Delimitation Bill is tabled on Monsoon session
NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to convene an all-party meeting before the government reintroduces its revised delimitation proposal during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.In his letter, Kharge said the opposition should be given adequate time to study the revised proposals before they are introduced in Parliament. He said an all-party meeting was necessary to discuss the government’s revised approach on delimitation and related issues. The Congress President stressed that he had repeatedly written to the parliamentary affairs minister during March and April this year requesting an all-party meeting on the issue, but those requests were not accepted.He also recalled that the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which sought to pave the way for the delimitation exercise, failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on April 17.”I have been reading in media reports that the Union Government now proposes to reintroduce a revised (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 during the forthcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament,” Kharge wrote.”I would, once again, request you to convene an All Party Meeting to discuss the Government’s revised proposals on delimitation, etc., and give us adequate time to study them in detail before they are introduced in Parliament,” he added.Sharing the letter on X, Kharge said, “My letter to PM Modi, once again requesting him to convene an All Party Meeting to discuss the Government’s revised proposals on Delimitation etc.”The Congress has already indicated that it will strongly oppose the proposed delimitation bill if it is reintroduced during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is scheduled to run from July 20 to August 13.The party finalised its strategy at a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group chaired by Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi and attended by Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders.Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the party had learnt that the Centre was planning to bring back the bill after its defeat in the Lok Sabha earlier this year.”We have heard that the Home Minister is trying to reintroduce the Delimitation Bill, which failed to get a two-thirds majority for the government on April 17, marking a significant defeat,” Ramesh said.Reiterating the party’s stand, he said, “Congress Party’s stand has always been clear: we will strongly oppose the Delimitation Bill and continue to do so. We will make every effort to maintain unity among all opposition parties.”The Congress also alleged that the government was attempting to secure the required numbers by engineering splits in opposition parties.Ramesh said the party would support women’s reservation but oppose linking it to the proposed delimitation exercise.The proposed delimitation exercise has sparked political debate, particularly over concerns that it could alter the balance of parliamentary representation among states. While the government has indicated it wants to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha by around 50 per cent while ensuring one-third reservation for women, opposition parties have demanded wider consultations before any fresh legislation is brought before Parliament.
