New Delhi : Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, seeking cooperation on the Delimitation Amendment Bill and urging the principal Opposition party to play a constructive role in the passage of important legislation.
Responding to Kharge’s October 16 letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rijiju said the government had repeatedly sought the Congress’s support for the proposed legislation but had not received dates for discussions.
He added that the government subsequently approached other political parties to build a broader consensus.
“The government has consistently sought the Opposition’s support and cooperation for the consideration and passage of the Delimitation Amendment Bill. The government has reached out to the Congress Party, being the principal Opposition party, on several occasions,” Rijiju wrote.
“However, after repeated requests, the Congress Party didn’t give dates for discussion, after which the government’s outreach had extended to other political parties,” he said.
Rijiju cites consultations with other parties
In his letter, the Union minister said the government had held consultations with representatives of several political parties after its efforts to engage the Congress did not result in scheduled discussions.
“Consultations were held with representatives of parties including the DMK, SP, YSRCP, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), AIMIM and BJD with a view to facilitating dialogue and building a broader consensus in support of the proposed legislation,” Rijiju said.
He questioned the repeated calls for consultations, arguing that the government had already made sustained efforts to facilitate dialogue.
“In these circumstances, it is not clear why the demand for consultation is being made repeatedly, when the government has already made sustained efforts for dialogue,” he wrote.
Minister urges Congress to support future bills
Rijiju reiterated the government’s commitment to parliamentary democracy and said it valued the participation of all political parties in discussions on matters of national importance.
“We value the participation of all political parties in deliberations and discussions on all matters of national importance. I also hope that the Congress Party will play a constructive role and will not obstruct important future legislation,” he said.
The letter was sent in response to Kharge’s request to Prime Minister Modi for an all-party meeting before the Delimitation Constitutional Amendment Bill was taken up for consideration in Parliament.
Delimitation Bills failed to clear Lok Sabha
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.
The proposed legislation failed to pass after it was rejected in the Lok Sabha on April 17.
