Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 16: Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking an all-party meeting to discuss upcoming bills and other proposals before they are finalised for consideration in Parliament.
Referring to the failure of the Constitutional Amendment Bill on Delimitation to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026, Kharge urged the Prime Minister to ensure wider consultations with political parties and other stakeholders.
“Please convene an all-party meeting to have a detailed discussion on your new proposals before they are finalised for consideration in Parliament,” Kharge wrote.
He stressed that all political parties must be given sufficient time to deliberate among themselves, with one another and with other stakeholders.
“Please do not once again try and bulldoze a far-reaching Constitutional Amendment Bill through Parliament as you attempted earlier and that met its well-deserved fate,” he said.
Kharge recalled that he had first written to Modi on April 11, 2026, seeking an all-party meeting before the introduction of any Constitutional Amendment Bill on delimitation.
“You did not do so. Thereafter, you made the Bills public on the late evening of April 14, 2026 and convened a special session on April 16, 2026,” he said.
The Congress president added that he had reiterated his demand for an all-party meeting on July 16 and August 27, and was now making the request for the fourth time.
Kharge also expressed concern that both Houses of Parliament had not yet been prorogued following the adjournment of the Monsoon Session in August.
“It has already been 64 days since the Monsoon Session of Parliament was adjourned on August 13, 2026, and both Houses of Parliament are yet to be prorogued. This scenario is unprecedented,” he said.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with the companion Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 16 by Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal.
However, the proposed legislation failed to secure the required two-thirds majority and was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17.