Congress snubbed delimitation talks: Govt signals Parliament session

NEW DELHI: Following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's request for an all-party meeting to discuss a potential delimitation proposal, the government stated on Monday that it had already spoken with various opposition parties, such as the Samajwadi Party, DMK, and NCP. The government's refusal to hold talks with the Congress party due to its own lack of willingness fueled speculation that Parliament may be summoned for a brief period to address the legislation.

In response to Kharge's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from October 16, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju stated that the Congress had not provided dates for discussion, prompting the government to seek consultations with other parties, including SP, DMK, YSRCP, NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), AIMIM, and BJD. Rijiju dismissed Kharge's request for repeated consultations, emphasizing the government's efforts to build a broader consensus.

The Congress leader had also questioned the "unprecedented" delay in proroguing the monsoon session, which was indefinitely adjourned on August 13. Rijiju countered this argument, noting that there is no constitutional requirement for a specific timeframe for prorogation, and the lack of prorogation does not inherently lead to any constitutional or procedural impropriety.