&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Delimitation row: Congress calls for Lok Sabha strength to be frozen at 543 for 25 years")
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday (August 27) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call an all-party meeting to discuss the government's proposed delimitation exercise.
Kharge also asked the government to give political parties and state governments enough time to examine the proposals before introducing them in Parliament.
In a letter to Modi, Kharge repeated his earlier request from July 16, 2026. He requested this after reports suggested that a special session of Parliament could be held to discuss delimitation.
"I had last written to you on July 16, 2026, requesting you to convene an All-Party meeting to discuss the Government's proposals for delimitation," Kharge said.
"I had also requested you to give all political parties adequate time to study such proposals in detail before they are introduced in any special session of Parliament that you may be contemplating," he added.
Kharge said the Congress had a clear position on the delimitation issue and wanted the existing strength of the Lok Sabha to remain unchanged.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
"The Indian National Congress is very clear. Maintain the existing strength of the Lok Sabha at 543 for another 25 years," he said.
He also demanded that the current state-wise distribution of Lok Sabha seats remain unchanged for the same period and introducing 33 per cent women reservation on the exisiting seats.
"Maintain the existing state-wise strength in the Lok Sabha for another 25 years," Kharge said.
Also Read: 4 minutes, priceless treasure gone: Thieves pull off superfast Bronze Age gold heist in Spain
Kharge seeks wider consultation
Kharge referred to recent remarks by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in a television interview, which indicated that the government could consider calling a special session of Parliament.
"Before you go ahead as indicated by the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, I wish to reiterate my earlier request to you to convene an All-Party meeting to discuss whatever delimitation proposals you have in mind."
"Give all political parties and state governments adequate time to study such proposals," he further said.
Kharge described delimitation as an issue of "enormous significance for the country". He urged the government not to move ahead with the proposals without adequate consultation.
"Please do not again try and bulldoze as you attempted on April 16 and 17, 2026," he said.
