Kiren Rijiju Rejects Congress Demands for All-Party Delimitation Meeting

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju rejected demands from the Indian National Congress for an all-party meeting regarding the proposed Delimitation Constitutional Amendment Bill. In responses to letters from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rijiju asserted that the government had already made sustained efforts for dialogue, including consultations with the DMK, Samajwadi Party, and BJD.

Rijiju stated he wrote to Kharge three times between March and April 2026 and met with Rahul Gandhi during the Monsoon Session, claiming the Congress failed to provide dates for formal discussions. The dispute centers on the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to increase Lok Sabha seats to 850 to reflect census data and implement women's reservation. A previous version of the bill was introduced on April 16 and rejected by the Lok Sabha on April 17.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh subsequently challenged Rijiju to clarify if the government intends to revive the defeated bill or if it has a new proposal for delimitation. The INDIA bloc continues to oppose linking women's reservation to the delimitation process, demanding immediate reservation instead. Additionally, Rijiju dismissed Kharge's concerns over a 64-day delay in proroguing Parliament, stating there is no constitutional requirement for a specific timeframe.