The Crossbill News Desk
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the fourth time, pressing for an all-party meeting to discuss the government’s proposals on delimitation before they are brought before Parliament.
The letter, sent on Friday (October 16), comes amid speculation that the Union government could convene a special session of Parliament later this month to revive the contentious legislation.
Kharge cautioned the government against attempting to push through another constitutional amendment without adequate consultation with opposition parties and other stakeholders, news agency ANI reported.
“Please do not once again try and bulldoze a far-reaching Constitutional Amendment Bill through Parliament as you attempted earlier and that met its well-deserved fate,” said Kharge in his letter.
He also raised concerns over the continued non-prorogation of Parliament’s monsoon session, describing the situation as unprecedented. The session was adjourned sine die on August 13, but both Houses are yet to be formally prorogued.
“It has already been 64 since the monsoon session of parliament was adjourned sine die on August 13, 2026 and both Houses of Parliament are yet to be prorogued. This scenario is unprecedented,” he wrote.
Kharge recalled that he had first approached Modi on April 11, seeking an all-party meeting before the government introduced a constitutional amendment on delimitation. However, the government proceeded to make the Bills public on April 14 and convened a special session of Parliament two days later.
“Thereafter you made the Bills public on the late evening of April 14, 2026 and convened a special session on April 16, 2026,” he wrote.
The proposed legislation suffered a major setback on April 17, when it failed to secure the required two-thirds majority of members present and voting in the Lok Sabha. The defeat marked the first time a constitutional amendment bill introduced by the Modi government had failed to pass in the House, following a united opposition campaign against it.
Since then, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought to strengthen its parliamentary position through a series of defections involving members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiv Sena (UBT). These developments fuelled speculation that the government might reintroduce the bill after improving its numbers, although it has yet to do so.
The continued delay in proroguing the monsoon session has also drawn scrutiny from opposition parties, which have questioned whether the government is keeping the session formally open in preparation for another special sitting to bring back the legislation.
Kharge said he had renewed his request for an all-party meeting in letters dated July 16 and August 27, but the government had not responded by convening one. He urged Modi to ensure that political parties were given sufficient time to examine the proposals and consult stakeholders before any decision was taken.
“I am now doing so for a fourth time. Please convene an all-party meeting to have a detailed discussion on your new proposals before they are finalised for consideration in parliament,” he wrote.
“All political parties must get sufficient time to deliberate among themselves, with each other and with all stakeholders. Please do not once again try and bulldoze a far-reaching Constitutional Amendment Bill through Parliament as you attempted earlier and that met its well-deserved fate.”
With speculation mounting over a possible special session, Kharge’s latest letter renews the opposition’s demand for prior consultation on delimitation, an issue with far-reaching implications for parliamentary representation.
The letter, sent on Friday (October 16), comes amid speculation that the Union government could convene a special session of Parliament later this month to revive the contentious legislation.
Kharge cautioned the government against attempting to push through another constitutional amendment without adequate consultation with opposition parties and other stakeholders, news agency ANI reported.
“Please do not once again try and bulldoze a far-reaching Constitutional Amendment Bill through Parliament as you attempted earlier and that met its well-deserved fate,” said Kharge in his letter.
He also raised concerns over the continued non-prorogation of Parliament’s monsoon session, describing the situation as unprecedented. The session was adjourned sine die on August 13, but both Houses are yet to be formally prorogued.
“It has already been 64 since the monsoon session of parliament was adjourned sine die on August 13, 2026 and both Houses of Parliament are yet to be prorogued. This scenario is unprecedented,” he wrote.
Kharge recalled that he had first approached Modi on April 11, seeking an all-party meeting before the government introduced a constitutional amendment on delimitation. However, the government proceeded to make the Bills public on April 14 and convened a special session of Parliament two days later.
“Thereafter you made the Bills public on the late evening of April 14, 2026 and convened a special session on April 16, 2026,” he wrote.
The proposed legislation suffered a major setback on April 17, when it failed to secure the required two-thirds majority of members present and voting in the Lok Sabha. The defeat marked the first time a constitutional amendment bill introduced by the Modi government had failed to pass in the House, following a united opposition campaign against it.
Since then, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought to strengthen its parliamentary position through a series of defections involving members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiv Sena (UBT). These developments fuelled speculation that the government might reintroduce the bill after improving its numbers, although it has yet to do so.
The continued delay in proroguing the monsoon session has also drawn scrutiny from opposition parties, which have questioned whether the government is keeping the session formally open in preparation for another special sitting to bring back the legislation.
Kharge said he had renewed his request for an all-party meeting in letters dated July 16 and August 27, but the government had not responded by convening one. He urged Modi to ensure that political parties were given sufficient time to examine the proposals and consult stakeholders before any decision was taken.
“I am now doing so for a fourth time. Please convene an all-party meeting to have a detailed discussion on your new proposals before they are finalised for consideration in parliament,” he wrote.
“All political parties must get sufficient time to deliberate among themselves, with each other and with all stakeholders. Please do not once again try and bulldoze a far-reaching Constitutional Amendment Bill through Parliament as you attempted earlier and that met its well-deserved fate.”
With speculation mounting over a possible special session, Kharge’s latest letter renews the opposition’s demand for prior consultation on delimitation, an issue with far-reaching implications for parliamentary representation.
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