Monsoon Session: Who will stand with Congress on Delimitation Bill in Lok Sabha

With the DMK adopting wait and watch and the NCP (SP) attaching conditions to its support, the Congress seems to be relying on a shrinking core of allies in its bid to oppose the Centre’s move to reintroduce the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, which provides the framework for redrawing parliamentary constituencies.

The Congress on Thursday resolved to strongly oppose any attempt to bring back the Bill, which proposes increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha and initiating the delimitation exercise.

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Although leaders of key INDIA Bloc ally Samajwadi Party have dismissed speculation and reiterated commitment to voting against it, sources say the party’s position is closely linked to the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. According to them, the SP does not want to be seen as too closely aligned with the Congress, as contesting independently suits both parties. “The main concern is the 2027 UP elections,” they said.

The Congress parliamentary strategy group on Thursday finalised an aggressive plan for the Monsoon Session, seeking to corner the Narendra Modi government on issues ranging from alleged donation theft at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya to the “systematic corrosion” of educational institutions.

The party also decided to strongly oppose the proposed constitutional amendment linked to delimitation and the expansion of the Lok Sabha.

While the Opposition had successfully stalled the government’s attempt to push the package linked to the 33 per cent women’s reservation in the previous session, the political landscape has changed significantly over the past three months. Following defections and internal revolts, parties such as the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) are no longer in a position to back the INDIA bloc if it seeks to block a major legislative move by the government.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), too, remains opposed to the Bill in its present form, arguing that delimitation cannot proceed without a caste census framework. However, observers question whether a “weakened RJD leadership” can ensure party discipline. “What if RJD MPs defy the whip? The leadership is in no position to take action against them, given the TMC and the Shiv Sena (UBT) experience.” They add

Also, the Shiv Sena (UBT), which had voted against the Bill in April, also seems uncertain after six rebel MPs moved closer to the NDA. A point of view has emerged from the leadership that they may reconsider their stance if amendments are incorporated.

The DMK, meanwhile, has adopted a wait-and-watch approach amid tensions with the Congress over its support for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s TVK. Sources said DMK president M.K. Stalin has instructed party MPs to maintain an anti-Congress stance while keeping all options open. At a meeting with MPs on Thursday, he reportedly said the party’s ideology and Tamil Nadu’s interests would take precedence over political alignments, and that the DMK would decide its position on the Bill on an issue-by-issue basis.