The party had earlier described the alleged effort to secure a two-thirds majority as an “opposition success”, arguing that the government could not muster the necessary support to bring the legislation.
“They don’t have a two-thirds majority and will never get it,” Ramesh had said after the Houses were adjourned sine die.
The issue is particularly significant because Constitution Amendment Bills require the support of at least two-thirds of members present and voting, as well as a majority of the total membership of the House.
During the Budget session, the government suffered a setback when a Constitution Amendment Bill linked to delimitation and the implementation of women’s reservation was defeated in the Lok Sabha. Of the 528 MPs who voted, 298 supported the measure while 230 opposed it. The Bill needed 352 votes to secure a two-thirds majority.
The Congress has also put forward its own position on the delimitation debate. At a recent meeting of the Congress Working Committee, the party demanded that the present strength of the Lok Sabha — 543 seats — remain frozen for another 25 years.
The party has simultaneously called for one-third reservation for women to be implemented from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, without waiting for an increase in the number of seats following delimitation.
In a resolution, the CWC said the constitutional freeze on the current strength of the Lok Sabha and its allocation among states should continue for 25 years, while women’s reservation should be implemented on the existing strength from 2029.
The Congress has also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to opposition parties to support the delimitation-linked legislation for implementing women’s reservation, describing it as a political “drama” and alleging that the government’s priority was “Modi preservation, not women’s reservation”.
With Parliament yet to be formally prorogued, the Congress is now using the delay to renew its questions over the government’s plans on delimitation, women’s reservation and the possibility of convening a special session.
With PTI inputs
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