Kiren Rijiju calls Rahul Gandhi in new bid to end logjam

Union government extended its outreach to the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in an attempt to break the ongoing deadlock in Parliament. Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju contacted Gandhi via telephone, discussing the delimitation bill and expressing their desire for continuous communication and coordinated action with opposition parties.

During their conversation, Gandhi suggested an all-party meeting to further discuss the issue, but Rijiju disagreed. Rijiju had previously met Gandhi at the latter's office for over 40 minutes to discuss the bill and other matters. The government's efforts are aimed at pushing the delimitation bill, which had previously been defeated.

The Congress party is preparing for a three-line whip, requiring all its MPs to attend the last week of the monsoon session, likely in response to the FCRA bill and to prevent the delimitation-related Constitution amendment bill. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet with 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs and Shiv Sena MPs as part of this outreach.

The government assures that they are aware of the opposition's concerns regarding the representation of states when the overall seats in the Lok Sabha will be increased. However, they are not keen on another all-party meeting, claiming they have already engaged in discussions with the opposition, including the Samajwadi Party, NCP, and DMK.