‘Misleader’ PM engaged in ‘deliberate deceit’ on delimitation: Congress

The Congress has sharply criticised the Centre over proposed delimitation and women’s reservation bills, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misleading the public and engaging in “deliberate deceit”.

The party said the draft legislation circulated ahead of a special sitting of Parliament contradicts earlier assurances given by the government, particularly on maintaining a uniform increase in Lok Sabha representation across states.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the proposals would reduce the political strength of southern states, as well as smaller states in the north-west and east. He argued that the Prime Minister’s commitments on fair representation could no longer be trusted.

In his X post, Ramesh said, "The Prime Minister is a so-called Leader whose only distinguishing feature is his unmatched ability to be a Misleader. He is a habitual liar who cannot speak the truth, even by mistake. He has engaged in deliberate deceit with the nation over the question of delimitation."

The Congress leader alleged that the Bills that the Modi government has circulated for the special session of Parliament contradict all the so-called assurances that he has been giving.

"The southern states will lose their strength in the Lok Sabha and so will smaller states in northwest India and states in the east. 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.

Ramesh pointed that the PM’s assurances cannot be trusted. "He is unable to rise beyond his crude power-grabbing impulses and be a statesman - even on an issue as sensitive as delimitation. The Bills were uploaded on Dr. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary. The delimitation provisions are an insult to his legacy and a reflection of his warning - delivered in the Constituent Assembly on 25 November 1949 - about the dangers of a government that isn’t guided by constitutional morality."

The criticism comes amid escalating political tensions over the planned delimitation exercise, which is expected to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to around 850 in order to implement the women’s reservation law before the 2029 general election.

Several southern leaders have also raised concerns. Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin warned of large-scale protests if the state’s interests were undermined, while Telangana chief minister A. Revanth Reddy called for an all-party discussion, cautioning that the proposed model could distort the federal balance.

The Congress maintained that the intent and content of the bills could have serious implications for parliamentary democracy, even as the ruling NDA defended the move as a historic step towards implementing women’s reservation.

The developments have set the stage for a contentious debate during the upcoming special session of Parliament.

With PTI inputs