Ahead of Monsoon Session, Sharad Pawar Signals Possible Support for Modi Government's Delimitation Bill Just days before Parliament's monsoon session, Sharad Pawar's party appears to be softening its stance on the delimitation bill. Supriya Sule has hinted at conditional support tied to a 50 percent seat-increase formula, even as a flurry of political meetings unfolds from Maharashtra to Delhi. With Parliament's monsoon session just days away, India's political landscape is heating up fast. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has returned from his foreign trips, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is also back after his own travels, and the session is set to begin on July 21. Amid this, the big development is that Sharad Pawar's faction, seen as the most experienced player within the INDIA alliance, appears ready to part ways with Rahul Gandhi and back two key bills pushed by Narendra Modi. Two Stalled Bills Set to Return to Parliament Modi has been preparing extensively for this monsoon session. Two bills, the Women's Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill, were jointly blocked by the INDIA alliance three months ago. The government is now preparing to bring them back to Parliament. When the monsoon session opens on July 21, this issue could once again spark a confrontation, since the INDIA alliance is expected to throw its full weight behind blocking the bills again. But even before that showdown begins, Rahul Gandhi appears to have suffered a significant setback. Signs That Sharad Pawar May Break Ranks Sharad Pawar, regarded as the most experienced leader within the INDIA alliance, could part ways with Rahul Gandhi on this issue and extend support to Narendra Modi's bill instead. That is why talk began overnight that Pawar was ready to become part of what is being called Team Modi. For nearly two years, a narrative was pushed that Modi had been weakened by the 2024 election results and that his government could fall at any moment. Today, the very parties that pushed that narrative are themselves struggling to hold together, while Modi has thrown so much political weight behind his mission that even senior opposition figures appear rattled. Supriya Sule's Statement Rattles the INDIA Alliance Sharad Pawar's daughter, Supriya Sule, made a statement on the Delimitation Bill that has stirred the entire INDIA alliance. She did not directly oppose the bill. Instead, she hinted at conditional support, saying that if the government brings the delimitation bill with the 50 percent formula, her party will consider it. The statement matters because Pawar's party had voted against the Delimitation Bill the last time it came up. Sule now saying the party will consider it is being read as a step toward eventual support. The 50 percent formula she referred to is the same one the Modi government used the last time it introduced the Delimitation Bill, under which seats would not be increased state by state based on population, but Lok Sabha seats would rise by a flat 50 percent instead. Sule also indicated that she wants the government to put that 50 percent commitment in writing. Notably, Amit Shah had already told the opposition in Parliament that the government was willing to give that assurance in writing. In other words, the government is already prepared to meet the condition Sule has laid out. The decision now rests with Sharad Pawar's party. A Flurry of Meetings From Mumbai to Delhi Behind the softening stance of Pawar's faction on the Delimitation Bill lies a string of meetings that took place the previous night. Jayant Patil, the state president of the Sharad Pawar faction, met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Separately, NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, who are part of the ruling alliance, also held their own meeting with Fadnavis. In effect, leaders from both NCP factions visited the Chief Minister's residence and held talks with him. While these meetings were underway in Mumbai, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was meeting Amit Shah in Delhi at the very same time. That meeting between Shah and Shinde was also attended by six rebel MPs who had broken away from Uddhav Thackeray's faction. During that meeting, the rebel MPs were assured about their political future, legal support in case of a party switch, and their seats. So meetings were unfolding simultaneously in both Delhi and Mumbai, and on the same day, Supriya Sule made her significant statement on the Delimitation Bill. After meeting Amit Shah, Eknath Shinde also hinted that something big was brewing for the monsoon session. Supriya Sule Walks Back the Speculation Sule has since clarified her remarks. She said the assumptions being made in the media about her party's stand on the Delimitation Bill are incorrect. Any decision on the issue, she said, will be taken only after thorough internal discussions and consultations with alliance partners. She also pointed out that the government has not yet introduced any revised Delimitation Bill in Parliament, so speculating about it at this stage would be premature. The INDIA Alliance Is Also Fighting Its Own Battles Even as Pawar's faction appears to be softening, the INDIA alliance is dealing with friction on multiple fronts. Rahul Gandhi is currently occupied with resolving an internal dispute within Punjab Congress. A fresh wave of rebellion has also emerged against Mamata Banerjee. MPs who broke away from Uddhav Thackeray continue to meet Amit Shah regularly. Congress is also worried that the DMK could align itself with Narendra Modi. At the same time, the INDIA alliance has been strategizing to corner the Modi government in Parliament over issues such as an alleged theft of religious offerings, the paper leak controversy, and ethanol policy. But the shifting stance of Pawar's faction has thrown a new challenge into that strategy. Eyes Also on Uttar Pradesh and Punjab This political maneuvering isn't limited to Parliament alone. Elections in key states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are also driving the current activity. Just a day earlier, Amit Shah met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi, while Modi himself is set to visit Punjab. In short, strategy is being worked out from Parliament all the way down to the states, even as constituent parties of the INDIA alliance remain tangled in their own internal disputes. Taken together, a new chapter in Indian politics appears to be opening even before the monsoon session begins. Following the meetings between Mumbai and Delhi and Supriya Sule's statement, it is clear that the atmosphere around the Delimitation Bill and the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament this time will be markedly different from before. What to Watch as the Session Nears Several threads from this developing story are worth tracking as July 21 approaches. • The Women's Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill are both set to return to Parliament, three months after the INDIA alliance blocked them. • Supriya Sule has tied her party's potential support to a 50 percent seat-increase formula, the same formula the Modi government used in its earlier version of the Delimitation Bill. • Amit Shah has already told Parliament the government is willing to put that 50 percent assurance in writing. • Six rebel MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction were present when Eknath Shinde met Amit Shah in Delhi, where they were assured about their political future, legal support, and their seats. • Beyond Parliament, Amit Shah has met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi, and Modi is preparing for a visit to Punjab, both states headed for elections. Whether Sharad Pawar's faction eventually backs the bills or Supriya Sule's clarification prevails, the manoeuvring already underway suggests the monsoon session will open to a very different political atmosphere than the one that shut these bills down three months ago. What this means for you • Across India: If the Women's Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill move forward in Parliament, it could bring major changes to Lok Sabha seat numbers and women's representation in the coming years. • In Maharashtra: The ongoing meetings between NCP and Shiv Sena factions could reshape the state's power equations and the alliance picture ahead of upcoming elections. Questions & Answers 1. When does the monsoon session begin? The monsoon session is set to begin on July 21. 2. Which two bills of PM Modi could return to Parliament? The Women's Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill, which the INDIA alliance had blocked three months ago. 3. What has Supriya Sule said about the Delimitation Bill? She said her party will consider the bill if the government brings it with the 50 percent formula. 4. What is the 50 percent formula in the Delimitation Bill? Under it, seats would not increase state by state based on population, but Lok Sabha seats would rise by a flat 50 percent instead. 5. Who was present at the Delhi meeting between Amit Shah and Eknath Shinde? Six rebel MPs who broke away from Uddhav Thackeray's faction were present at the meeting. 6. How did Supriya Sule later clarify her statement? She said media assumptions were incorrect and that any decision would come only after internal party discussions and talks with alliance partners, since the government hasn't even introduced a revised bill yet. 7. Which ally is Congress worried about losing? Congress is worried that the DMK could align itself with Narendra Modi. 8. How are Uttar Pradesh and Punjab connected to this story? Amit Shah has met Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi, and PM Modi is set to visit Punjab, with both states headed for elections soon. 9. What issues is the INDIA alliance planning to corner the Modi government on in Parliament? It is preparing to raise issues such as an alleged theft of religious offerings, the paper leak controversy, and ethanol policy. https://trendkia.com/en/politics/manasuna-satra-se-pahale-sharad-pawar-ke-tevara-men-badalava-parisimana-bila-para-mila-sakata-hai-modi-sarakara-ka-satha-8001 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.