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Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the government's proposed delimitation exercise and give political parties and state governments adequate time to study the proposals.
In a letter to Prime Minister Modi, Kharge reiterated his earlier request made on July 16, after Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister's reported remarks that a special session of Parliament could be convened to discuss the issue. "I had last written to you on July 16, 2026, requesting you to convene an All-Party meeting for discussing the Government's proposals for delimitation," Kharge said. "I had also requested you to give all political parties adequate time to study such proposals in detail before they are introduced in any special session of Parliament that you may be contemplating," he added. Kharge said the Congress was "very clear" about its position on the issue. "The Indian National Congress is very clear. Maintain the existing strength of the Lok Sabha at 543 for another 25 years," he said. He also called for continuation of the existing state-wise allocation of Lok Sabha seats. "Maintain the existing state-wise strength in the Lok Sabha for another 25 years," Kharge said, while also demanding that "one-third reservation for women" be introduced from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Referring to Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's recent remarks in a television interview which hinted at a possible parliament special session, Kharge said, "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 further said. Calling delimitation an issue of "enormous significance for the country", Kharge urged the Prime Minister to avoid pushing the proposals through without adequate consultation. "Please do not again try and bulldoze as you attempted on April 16 and 17, 2026," he said. The delimitation issue in the country revolves around redrawing parliamentary boundaries based on population. The debate highlights a North-South divide, as southern states fear losing political representation due to their successful population control compared to faster-growing northern states. This friction has sparked intense political pushback. Consequently, opposition leaders strongly advocate maintaining the current Lok Sabha seat caps and state distributions to prevent states with controlled population growth from facing political penalties. (ANI)
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