The Crossbill News Desk
Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene an all-party meeting before moving ahead with any proposal on delimitation, warning the government against attempting to “again try and bulldoze” legislation through a special session of Parliament.
In a letter to Modi on Thursday (August 27), Kharge referred to remarks made a day earlier by Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, who did not rule out the possibility of a special session being convened.
Kharge said Rijiju's comments could also explain why the monsoon session, which has already concluded, has not yet been prorogued.
The Congress leader said he had earlier written to the prime minister on July 16, seeking an all-party meeting to discuss the government's proposals on delimitation and adequate time for political parties and state governments to examine them.
“Before you go ahead as indicated by the Union minister of parliamentary affairs, I wish to reiterate my earlier request to you to convene an all-party meeting to discuss whatever delimitation proposals you have in mind. Give all political parties and state governments adequate time to study such proposals,” he wrote.
Kharge said the issue could have far-reaching consequences for India's political representation and federal structure and should not be pushed through Parliament without wider consultation.
“This is an issue that has enormous significance for the country. Please do not again try and bulldoze as you attempted on April 16, 17, 2026,” Kharge added.
His reference was to the Modi government's failed attempt in April to secure parliamentary approval for a constitutional amendment Bill related to delimitation and the implementation of women's reservation.
On April 17, the government suffered a significant setback when it failed to get the constitutional amendment Bill passed after a united opposition defeated the proposed legislation. The Bill had sought to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha to 850 seats in order to “operationalise” women's reservation.
In Thursday's letter, Kharge also pointed to the delay in formally proroguing the monsoon session, suggesting that Rijiju's remarks about the possibility of another special session may have provided an explanation.
He reiterated the Congress's position on delimitation, saying that the present strength of the Lok Sabha should remain at 543 for another 25 years and that the existing state-wise distribution of seats should also be retained. At the same time, he said one-third reservation for women should be implemented from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Speculation over the possibility of the government bringing back the delimitation Bill had grown following a series of defections from the Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Aam Aadmi Party. There were suggestions that the government could use the changed numbers in Parliament to revisit the legislation during the monsoon session.
However, the session ended without the government introducing any of its more contentious Bills. Instead, the opposition kept up pressure over the police action against protesters on July 20, putting the government on the defensive.
The political turbulence during the session also saw former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign under sustained public pressure, while both Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah remained absent through the session.
Kharge's latest letter signals that the opposition is preparing to resist any renewed attempt to bring a delimitation proposal before Parliament without prior consultation.
By demanding an all-party discussion and adequate time for states and political parties to examine the proposals, the Congress has sought to turn delimitation into a wider debate over representation, federalism and the future composition of the Lok Sabha.
In a letter to Modi on Thursday (August 27), Kharge referred to remarks made a day earlier by Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, who did not rule out the possibility of a special session being convened.
Kharge said Rijiju's comments could also explain why the monsoon session, which has already concluded, has not yet been prorogued.
The Congress leader said he had earlier written to the prime minister on July 16, seeking an all-party meeting to discuss the government's proposals on delimitation and adequate time for political parties and state governments to examine them.
“Before you go ahead as indicated by the Union minister of parliamentary affairs, I wish to reiterate my earlier request to you to convene an all-party meeting to discuss whatever delimitation proposals you have in mind. Give all political parties and state governments adequate time to study such proposals,” he wrote.
Kharge said the issue could have far-reaching consequences for India's political representation and federal structure and should not be pushed through Parliament without wider consultation.
“This is an issue that has enormous significance for the country. Please do not again try and bulldoze as you attempted on April 16, 17, 2026,” Kharge added.
I have written to the PM Modi on delimitation, the delay in prorogation of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, and the likely special session mentioned by the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs in a television interview last evening.
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 27, 2026
Sharing the letter — pic.twitter.com/UCFN5LI4WY
His reference was to the Modi government's failed attempt in April to secure parliamentary approval for a constitutional amendment Bill related to delimitation and the implementation of women's reservation.
On April 17, the government suffered a significant setback when it failed to get the constitutional amendment Bill passed after a united opposition defeated the proposed legislation. The Bill had sought to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha to 850 seats in order to “operationalise” women's reservation.
In Thursday's letter, Kharge also pointed to the delay in formally proroguing the monsoon session, suggesting that Rijiju's remarks about the possibility of another special session may have provided an explanation.
He reiterated the Congress's position on delimitation, saying that the present strength of the Lok Sabha should remain at 543 for another 25 years and that the existing state-wise distribution of seats should also be retained. At the same time, he said one-third reservation for women should be implemented from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Speculation over the possibility of the government bringing back the delimitation Bill had grown following a series of defections from the Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Aam Aadmi Party. There were suggestions that the government could use the changed numbers in Parliament to revisit the legislation during the monsoon session.
However, the session ended without the government introducing any of its more contentious Bills. Instead, the opposition kept up pressure over the police action against protesters on July 20, putting the government on the defensive.
The political turbulence during the session also saw former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign under sustained public pressure, while both Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah remained absent through the session.
Kharge's latest letter signals that the opposition is preparing to resist any renewed attempt to bring a delimitation proposal before Parliament without prior consultation.
By demanding an all-party discussion and adequate time for states and political parties to examine the proposals, the Congress has sought to turn delimitation into a wider debate over representation, federalism and the future composition of the Lok Sabha.
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