The Sampadak Express News Desk
The Congress on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, pressed the Narendra Modi government to disclose whether it has a fresh delimitation proposal and to explain its “stubborn” refusal to convene an all-party meeting, with party communications chief Jairam Ramesh publicly challenging the Centre a day after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on the issue. The exchange was detailed in a report by The Hindu.
In a post on X, Mr. Ramesh posed three questions to the government: whether it has a firm new delimitation plan discussed with any party; why it will not present such a proposal transparently in an all-party forum and hear all views; and whether it intends to reintroduce the Constitution Amendment Bill on delimitation that was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026, after being taken up on April 16.
Mr. Ramesh said the Centre should hold an all-party meeting before bringing any fresh legislation to Parliament. He also claimed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s consultations with select political parties in March 2026 had led to commitments that did not find place in the April Bill. He prefaced his questions with a jab at Mr. Rijiju for focusing on the “plantation economy.”
Mr. Ramesh’s remarks followed Mr. Rijiju’s October 19 letter to Mr. Kharge, in which the Minister said the government had consistently sought the Opposition’s support for delimitation-linked women’s reservation legislation and expected the Congress to cooperate. “I am writing to you to clarify certain points and place on record the facts regarding the efforts made by the government to engage with the Opposition on this subject,” Mr. Rijiju said, according to The Hindu.
Mr. Rijiju listed his outreach to the Congress, stating he had written to Mr. Kharge on March 16, March 26 and April 12, and had also discussed the matter with him personally. During the monsoon session, he met Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to seek cooperation. After the Congress did not provide dates for discussions, he said the government engaged other parties, naming the DMK, SP, YSRCP, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), AIMIM and the BJD. He questioned why the Opposition was reiterating demands for consultations when the government had already made what he termed “sustained efforts for dialogue.”
Responding to Mr. Kharge’s objection that Parliament had not been prorogued 64 days after adjournment sine die on August 13, Mr. Rijiju said there was “no constitutional requirement prescribing a specific period” within which a House must be prorogued. He cited precedents of extended gaps before prorogation: 76 days in 1987; 54 days in 1989; 49 days in both 2006 and 2013; and 41 days in 1963.
Mr. Kharge had written to Prime Minister Modi on October 16 seeking an all-party meeting before any fresh delimitation Bill is introduced. Mr. Ramesh said this has been the consistent demand of all Opposition parties, noting that Mr. Kharge has made the request six times in writing — four letters to the Prime Minister and two to Mr. Rijiju.
