Months after the conclusion of the parliamentary session, political friction between the opposition and the government over the delimitation exercise continues to intensify. The Congress party has launched a sharp attack against the central government, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of refusing to convene an all-party meeting despite repeated demands. Furthermore, the opposition has raised serious questions over the unprecedented delay in the formal prorogation of Parliament following its adjournment sine die. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the administration is deliberate in avoiding opposition scrutiny to clear delimitation-related legislation.
Repeated Demands for All-Party Delimitation Talks Ignored
Posting on the social media platform X, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh revealed that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has written four separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past six months. In these communications, Kharge urged the Prime Minister to convene an all-party meeting to facilitate transparent and thorough discussions before any bill or proposal concerning delimitation is introduced in Parliament. However, Ramesh asserted that the Prime Minister has continuously turned a deaf ear to these requests, keeping major political stakeholders in the dark.
Questions Raised Over 88-Day Prorogation Delay
Highlighting procedural anomalies, Jairam Ramesh pointed out that both houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die on August 13 at the end of the monsoon session. Yet, even after 88 days, the government has not formally prorogued the session. Ramesh alleged that this prolonged delay is a calculated move designed to give the Union Home Minister adequate time to secure a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha to push through delimitation bills. He described this anticipated alignment as a two-thirds 'heavily tainted majority'.
Debate Over Parliamentary Conventions and the 2008 Precedent
To back his allegations, the Congress leader cited the 8th edition of the authoritative manual 'Practice and Procedure of Parliament' by Kaul and Shakdher. Referring to page 192 of the publication, Ramesh noted that the standard interval between the sine die adjournment of the Lok Sabha and its prorogation typically ranges from 2 to 4 days. Prior to this, the maximum recorded gap stood at 28 days during the 2015 monsoon session.
Ramesh addressed a letter written by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on October 19, 2026. In that correspondence, Rijiju claimed that during the 2008 monsoon session, the gap between adjournment and prorogation had reached 87 days. Questioning this assertion, Ramesh asked why such an 87-day record is absent from the 8th edition of Kaul and Shakdher. He further clarified that the 2008 extension was executed with the explicit consensus of all political parties owing to extraordinary circumstances, unlike the current unilateral delay.
Opposition Readiness Against Legislative Overreach
The Congress General Secretary accused the current government of shattering past parliamentary conventions to suit its legislative agenda. He recalled that on April 17, 2026, the combined opposition had successfully thwarted similar attempts by the government. Ramesh warned that should the ruling administration attempt to deploy 'bulldozer politics' again, a united opposition front stands ready to dismantle its plans once more.
