New Delhi, October 20: The Congress on Tuesday questioned the Narendra Modi-led government over its refusal to convene an all-party meeting on delimitation, urging Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to clarify whether the Centre has prepared a fresh proposal on the issue.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh raised the questions in a post on X while responding to Rijiju’s letter to party president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Ramesh also questioned whether the government intended to reintroduce the delimitation-linked Constitution Amendment Bill that was defeated in the Lok Sabha in April 2026.
He argued that the government should present any new proposal transparently and allow all political parties to express their views through a collective discussion.
The Congress leader raised three key questions: whether the government has a concrete new delimitation proposal discussed with any political party, why it is refusing to convene an all-party meeting, and whether it plans to bring back the defeated Bill for another vote.
Ramesh maintained that another attempt to pass the legislation with a two-thirds majority would likely fail.
Congress Questions Government’s Earlier Assurances
The exchange follows a letter written by Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 16. Rijiju responded to the Congress president on October 19.
In his reply, Rijiju referred to consultations conducted by Union Home Minister Amit Shah with selected political parties on delimitation in March 2026.
However, Ramesh alleged that commitments reportedly made during those consultations were not incorporated into the Constitution Amendment Bill introduced in Parliament in April.
The Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026, after failing to secure the required support.
Ramesh said the Congress president had repeatedly communicated the Opposition’s concerns to the Prime Minister and the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, arguing that the demand for wider consultations reflected the position of opposition parties.
Government Defends Its Approach
The government has maintained that it made consistent efforts to engage with opposition parties to secure support for the delimitation-linked women’s reservation legislation.
In his letter to Kharge, Rijiju said the government valued the participation of all political parties in discussions on matters of national importance and urged the Congress to adopt a constructive approach towards future legislation.
Rijiju also addressed Kharge’s objection regarding the delay in proroguing the House after it was adjourned sine die on August 13.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said the Constitution does not prescribe a specific time limit within which a House must be prorogued after being adjourned sine die.
He added that the absence of prorogation during an extended interval does not, by itself, constitute a constitutional or procedural irregularity. Rijiju also cited previous instances in which Parliament remained unprorogued for periods of up to 87 days.
The exchange has intensified the political debate over delimitation, with the Congress pressing for a transparent, all-party consultation process and the government calling for constructive cooperation from the Opposition.
