Delimitation Bill talks: Rijiju writes to Kharge, hopes Congress won’t obstruct future bills

New Delhi, October 19 (IANS): Seeking cooperation on the Delimitation Amendment Bill, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday wrote to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, hoping that the principal Opposition party will play a constructive role and not obstruct important future legislation.Writing to the Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha, in response to his October 16 letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rijiju said, “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.”“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.“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,” said Rijiju.He said, “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.”The Union Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to the basic principles of parliamentary democracy and to facilitating meaningful dialogue through the effective functioning of Parliament.“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,” said Rijiju.The Minister told Kharge that he was writing to him in response to the latter's request to PM Modi seeking the convening of an all-party meeting before the Delimitation Constitutional Amendment is taken up for consideration in Parliament.The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 — along with the companion Delimitation Bill, 2026 and 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, but failed to pass after being rejected in the Lok Sabha on April 17.