Congress targets Modi over delimitation, alleges ‘deceit’ and threat to federal balance

The Congress on Wednesday intensified its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the proposed delimitation exercise, with senior leader Jairam Ramesh accusing the government of “deliberate deceit” and going back on assurances regarding parliamentary representation.

‎In a strongly worded post on X, Ramesh claimed that the Prime Minister’s public statements on delimitation were at odds with the contents of the Bills circulated for the upcoming special session of Parliament.

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“The Prime Minister is a so-called Leader whose only distinguishing feature is his unmatched ability to be a Misleader,” he said, adding that the government had “engaged in deliberate deceit with the nation over the question of delimitation.”

‎Highlighting concerns over representation, Ramesh argued that the proposed changes could disproportionately impact several regions. “The southern states will lose their strength in the Lok Sabha and so will smaller states in northwest India and states in the east,” he said, questioning the government’s commitment to what he described as a previously promised uniform and proportionate increase in seats.

‎“What happened to the uniform proportionate increase of strength in the Lok Sabha for all states — that was promised by the PM and some of his colleagues? That has not happened,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister’s assurances “cannot be trusted.”

‎Ramesh further accused the government of placing political considerations above constitutional values. “He is unable to rise beyond his crude power-grabbing impulses and be a statesman — even on an issue as sensitive as delimitation,” he said.

‎The Congress also flagged the timing of the move, noting that the Bills were uploaded on the birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar. Describing the provisions as “an insult to his legacy,” Ramesh invoked Ambedkar’s warning in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949, about the dangers of a government not guided by constitutional morality.

‎Delimitation, which involves redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on population changes, has long been a politically sensitive issue. While intended to ensure equitable representation, opposition parties, particularly from southern states, have raised concerns that population-based adjustments could alter the balance of power among regions.

‎The Centre, however, has maintained that any delimitation exercise would be conducted in line with constitutional provisions. The issue is expected to remain a major point of contention ahead of the special session of Parliament.