Congress Criticizes Special Session Timing

The Congress party claimed that the government called a “special session” of parliament to pass bills related to amending women’s quota laws and redrawing electoral boundaries in order to gain political advantage ahead of elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. This, they said, violates the model code of conduct (MCC), which restricts election-related activities during polling phases.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the government for rushing through the delimitation process, warning it could have harmful effects on smaller states and those in the South, Northeast, and West. He accused the government of waiting 30 months after passing the women’s reservation law before suddenly pushing for amendments ahead of elections.

Ramesh claimed that unofficially, there are plans to increase Lok Sabha seats disproportionately, benefiting larger states like Uttar Pradesh while harming smaller ones like Kerala. He questioned why the special session couldn’t be delayed until after April 29, when the MCC would no longer apply.

Opposition leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi plan to meet with Congress MPs and other opposition parties before April 16 to discuss对策. Ramesh accused the government of focusing on “narrative management” to regain control over political and foreign policy discussions.

The government has announced that parliament will reconvene on April 16 for three days to pass the proposed bills, including amendments to the women’s reservation law and delimitation-related changes. However, opposition parties have demanded an all-party meeting after April 29, when the MCC period ends.

Ramesh alleged that while earlier discussions focused only on amending the women’s quota law, the special session now includes delimitation as well. He criticized the government for delaying implementation of the women’s reservation law for 30 months and suddenly rushing to pass related amendments.

The opposition has also accused the government of using back-channel talks to secure support for the bills, with J.P. Nadda, a government leader, defending the timing of the legislation. The budget session, originally scheduled to end on April 2, will now extend into mid-April as elections in several states, including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, approach.