New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government of trying to “engineer a tainted two-thirds majority in Parliament”, asserting that it is quite unlikely to secure the required numbers.
Even if the Union government manages to get two-thirds majority, it would be a “disgraced one and an insult to the Constitution of India”, said Congress General Secretary (Communications) In-Charge Jairam Ramesh and MP Naseer Hussain to reporters after the party’s Parliamentary Strategy Group meeting.
Jairam Ramesh said that the Congress was expecting the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to introduce the Delimitation Bill again after it failed to muster a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha on April 17.
He reiterated that Congress will again oppose it, adding that top party leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, were in touch with opposition parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that are not part of the INDIA bloc now. They intend to ensure Opposition unity, where the parties together voted against the Bill earlier.
On women’s reservation, Ramesh said, “Let the government make a provision for one-third reservation for women within the current strength of the Lok Sabha and the Congress will support it.”
Thursday’s meeting was presided over by Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, attended by senior MPs, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress, so far, does not have any formal information about the legislations to be brought during the Parliament’s Monsoon session, Jairam Ramesh claimed, adding that though an all-party meeting is scheduled for Sunday, his party did not expect anything to come out of it as it has always been a “pointless formality”.
The failure of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, marked a significant setback for the Union government in operationalising women’s political reservation in India, and reopened deeper debates on representation, federalism, and electoral restructuring.
Alleging that the Union government was responsible for the split in the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Ramesh stressed the ruling NDA coalition is still short of the two-thirds majority mark and is unlikely to reach it, particularly in the Lok Sabha.
“The Home Minister has used the party as a parking space for the defecting MPs,” he said, saying that the Nationalist Citizens’ Party of India (NCPI) that the rebel Trinamool MPs merged with, was formed only three years ago and was not even recognised, while suddenly becoming the second-largest constituent in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
He refuted reports of Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar supporting the Delimitation Bill, claiming that its leader Supriya Sule has denied it.
Among issues the Congress will raise in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament are reported theft of donations in Ayodhya’s Ram Temple and the country’s education and examination system.
Rahul Gandhi has already launched the “Chhatron ki Goonj” campaign, Jairam Ramesh added, reiterating the party’s demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The Congress, he said, will also raise the “E-20 scam”, alleging involvement of “several senior BJP leaders and their sons”. It will also seek a debate on foreign policy challenges, particularly in context of China, US and the deteriorating situation in West Asia, he said, observing Pakistan’s role with US support “a serious foreign policy setback”.
Jairam Ramesh also said that there is no proposed legislation on which the party could support the Union government.
On proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill providing for the removal of Chief Ministers and Ministers upon 30 days detention, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, the proposed amendments to the National Food Security Act, 2013, and the “One Nation, One Election” Bills, the Congress General Secretary Communications In-Charge said the party would oppose them.
(IANS)
