New Delhi, August 27: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the issue of delimitation. In his letter, Kharge highlighted concerns about the delay in the conclusion of the Parliament’s monsoon session and mentioned a potential special session as indicated by the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister during a television interview.
Kharge shared a copy of the letter on the social media platform ‘X’. In the letter, he stated, “Dear Prime Minister, I previously wrote to you on July 16, requesting that an all-party meeting be convened to discuss the government’s proposals on delimitation. I also requested that all political parties be given adequate time to study these proposals in detail before they are presented in any special session of Parliament.”
He reiterated this request, emphasizing that the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister publicly mentioned the possibility of such a special session during a recent interview. This may explain the ongoing delays in concluding the monsoon session.
In his letter, Kharge clarified the Congress party’s stance with three key demands. He wrote, “The Indian National Congress’s position is clear. First, the current number of 543 Lok Sabha members should be maintained for the next 25 years. Second, the existing representation in the Lok Sabha, based on states, should remain unchanged for the next 25 years. Third, one-third reservation for women should be implemented for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.”
Kharge urged the Prime Minister to consider two points before proceeding as suggested by the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister. First, convene a meeting of all parties to discuss any proposals regarding delimitation. Second, provide all political parties and state governments sufficient time to study these proposals.
At the end of the letter, Kharge emphasized the importance of this issue for the nation, urging, “Please do not attempt to impose this again as was done on April 16 and 17.”
It is noteworthy that the delimitation issue is particularly sensitive in southern states. The opposition claims that delimitation based on population could reduce representation for these states, which have made significant progress in population control. The Congress party continues to demand an all-party meeting on this matter.
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