The Congress party has formally declared its intention to oppose the Delimitation Bill in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament. This significant announcement came following a comprehensive meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) held in Delhi on Thursday, while the meeting, which took place at 10 Janpath under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, focused on formulating a strong strategy to tackle the government's legislative plans during the session starting next Monday. High-profile leaders including Party President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra, KC Venugopal, Shashi Tharoor, P, while chidambaram, Kumari Selja, and Manish Tewari were in attendance to deliberate on the party's stance.
Strategic Opposition to Key Bills
Following the conclusion of the CPP meeting, senior leader Jairam Ramesh addressed the media, stating that the party has received information regarding the government's plan to introduce the Delimitation Bill. He emphasized that the Congress party would stand united with other like-minded opposition parties to oppose this move. Ramesh noted that while there is no official confirmation yet on the full list of bills to be introduced, the party is preparing for all possibilities. He expressed hope that the details would become clearer during the all-party meeting scheduled for Sunday, although he characterized such meetings as a mere formality where the government often imposes its decisions regardless of the discussions.
Concerns Over Constitutional Amendments
The Congress party is particularly wary as reports suggest the government might introduce up to 3 constitutional amendment bills during this session. Jairam Ramesh pointed out that the government had previously faced a setback on April 17 during discussions on the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill. He suggested that the government might attempt to bring the Delimitation Bill again to bypass previous hurdles. Also, the Congress has decided to oppose several other legislative proposals, including the FCRA Bill and proposed amendments to the Food Security Act of 2013, which serves as the foundation for the PM Anna Yojana. The party also discussed its opposition to the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal and bills related to the tenure of MPs, MLAs, Chief Ministers, and the Prime Minister that were previously boycotted in the JPC.
The Numbers Game in Parliament
The passage of these bills, especially constitutional amendments, requires a significant majority, while the government needs the support of 360 MPs to pass such legislation. Currently, the government has secured the support of 324 MPs. However, the political landscape is shifting, while the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, which holds 8 MPs, has hinted at potential support if the Delimitation Bill follows a 50 percent formula. On top of that, there are indications that the DMK might support the government on this issue. If these parties align with the government, the count could reach 354. The support of 3 MPs from the YSR and Uddhav Thackeray factions could potentially push the government past the required 360 mark. Meanwhile, the government is also in high-level discussions, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently holding a marathon meeting lasting 2 hours and 30 minutes with Amit Shah and Nitin Naveen to finalize their strategy.