Is Amit Shah's Delimitation Plan Doomed Again? Congress Calls Him a 'Master of Bluff'
Congress Challenges Amit Shah's Delimitation Claims
New Delhi: On Thursday, the Congress party criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his recent remarks about the delimitation bill, labeling him a "master of bluff and bluster."
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh pointed out that Shah had previously attempted to pass the delimitation bill but suffered a significant defeat in the Lok Sabha.
Ramesh emphasized that Shah's so-called "bulldozer" approach had failed before and would likely fail again.
During an informal discussion with journalists, Shah claimed that a special three-day session of Parliament would soon be convened, where he expected the bills to pass by a margin of 15 to 18 votes.
However, Ramesh reminded everyone that Shah had made similar claims seven months ago, only to face a humiliating loss in the Lok Sabha on April 17, where he fell short by over 50 votes.
The Congress leader reiterated, "His bulldozer did not work then and will not work again."
The government is reportedly planning to hold a special session to facilitate the passage of a Constitution amendment bill aimed at implementing women's reservation, with sources indicating confidence in a 15 to 18 vote margin.
Details regarding the dates or duration of this proposed session remain undisclosed.
To pass the Constitution amendment bill, the government requires 361 votes for a two-thirds majority, with the current House of 543 having three vacancies.
This amendment aims to increase the Lok Sabha's strength from 543 to a maximum of 850 seats through delimitation, allowing for 33 percent reservation for women in both Parliament and state legislative assemblies.
A similar amendment bill was rejected during a special Budget Session on April 17.
The possibility of convening Parliament on short notice is still on the table, as the Monsoon Session, which saw both Houses adjourned sine die on August 13, has yet to be prorogued.
This session has remained unprorogued for 91 days, surpassing the previous record of 87 days set in 2008.