Govt Calling Special Session to Grab Political Mileage in WB, TN Polls: Cong

Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the timing of the session was aimed at extracting “maximum political mileage” rather than building consensus on issues with constitutional implications. He termed the move a “gross violation” of the model code of conduct.

The party objected to the proposed amendments to the Women’s Reservation Bill and the inclusion of delimitation in the agenda, alleging these were intended to influence voters in states such as West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

Ramesh said there was no formal proposal shared with the Opposition on delimitation, but “off-the-record” indications pointed to a significant expansion in Lok Sabha seats. He warned that such an exercise could have “dangerous consequences” by altering the balance of representation among states.

Illustrating the impact, he said Uttar Pradesh’s representation could rise to around 120 seats, while Kerala may see a smaller increase. “This is not proportional justice; this is political engineering,” he said.

The Congress also questioned the timing of the move on the women’s reservation law, stating that the legislation passed in 2023 had remained unimplemented for nearly 30 months. “The government was in deep slumber all this while, and now suddenly, in the middle of elections, it wants double credit,” Ramesh said.

He said the session, scheduled from April 16 for three days, could have been convened after the election process if the intent was to ensure wider consultation.

The party further alleged that delimitation was not mentioned in initial communication from the government. Ramesh said parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju had not referred to it earlier and accused the Centre of introducing it “through the backdoor”.

The Opposition has sought an all-party meeting after April 29, when the model code of conduct is expected to be lifted. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi are expected to consult other Opposition parties on a joint strategy.

The issue has led to sharp exchanges in Parliament, with the government maintaining that it has the prerogative to decide the timing of legislative business.

The development signals a likely escalation in confrontation between the government and the Opposition over the proposed session.