Congress slams PM over delimitation bills, questions ‘Assurances’ on representation

‎ The Congress on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the proposed delimitation exercise, with senior party leader Jairam Ramesh accusing the government of “deliberate deceit” and undermining earlier assurances on parliamentary representation.

‎In a strongly worded post on X, Ramesh alleged that the Prime Minister’s claims on delimitation had been contradicted by the Bills circulated for the upcoming special session of Parliament.

“The Prime Minister is a so-called Leader whose only distinguishing feature is his unmatched ability to be a Misleader,” he said, adding, “…..He has engaged in deliberate deceit with the nation over the question of delimitation.”

‎Raising concerns over the potential impact of the proposed changes, the Congress leader claimed that several regions could see a reduction in their relative representation in the Lok Sabha.

“The southern states will lose their strength in the Lok Sabha and so will smaller states in northwest India and states in the east,” he said, questioning what he described as the government’s failure to honour its earlier commitment to a uniform, proportionate increase in seats across all states.

‎“What happened to the uniform proportionate increase of strength in the Lok Sabha for all states — that was promised by the PM and some of his colleagues? That has not happened,” Ramesh said, asserting that the Prime Minister’s assurances “cannot be trusted.”

‎He further accused the government of prioritising political gains over constitutional principles.

“He is unable to rise beyond his crude power-grabbing impulses and be a statesman — even on an issue as sensitive as delimitation,” Ramesh said.

‎The Congress also objected to the timing of the move, noting that the Bills were uploaded on the birth anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar. Ramesh described the delimitation provisions as “an insult to his legacy” and invoked Ambedkar’s warning in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949, about the dangers of a government not guided by constitutional morality.

‎The delimitation process, which involves redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on population changes, has long been a politically sensitive issue. While it aims to ensure equitable representation, concerns have been raised by several opposition parties, particularly from southern states, that population-based adjustments could alter the balance of power among regions.

‎The government has maintained that any exercise on delimitation would be carried out in accordance with constitutional provisions, but the issue is expected to remain a flashpoint in the run-up to the special session of Parliament.