Congress to hold CWC meet on women’s quota, delimitation, West Asia

The Congress is set to convene a meeting of its top decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), on Friday to deliberate on a range of key political and policy issues, including proposed amendments to the women’s reservation law, the impending delimitation exercise, and the evolving West Asia conflict, party sources said.

The meeting, scheduled for 3 pm at the party’s Indira Bhawan headquarters, comes just days ahead of a three-day session of Parliament, where the government is expected to introduce crucial legislation. Among the proposed measures are bills to implement the Women’s Reservation Act ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and to expand the strength of the Lok Sabha to 816 seats, with 273 reserved for women.

Sources indicated that the Union Cabinet has already cleared draft versions of these bills, paving the way for their introduction in Parliament. The Congress leadership is expected to closely examine both the substance of these proposals and the timing of their rollout.

The party has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led government of attempting to fast-track amendments to the women’s quota law for electoral gains, particularly in poll-bound states such as West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. It has alleged that the planned “special session” of Parliament to pass these bills amounts to a violation of the model code of conduct.

A major point of concern for the Congress is the proposed delimitation exercise, which would redraw parliamentary and assembly constituencies. The party has warned that a rushed approach could have “dangerous consequences”, potentially altering the balance of representation among states. Senior leader Jairam Ramesh has cautioned against disturbing the existing “differentials and relative strength”, noting that states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala could be disproportionately affected.

The CWC is also expected to review the latest developments in West Asia, including the recently announced two-week ceasefire involving the United States, Israel and Iran. The Congress has been critical of the government’s handling of the crisis and has questioned India’s diplomatic visibility during the ceasefire negotiations.

In particular, the party has taken aim at what it described as a “highly personalised diplomacy” approach by Prime Minister Modi, arguing that Pakistan’s role in facilitating the ceasefire represents a diplomatic setback for India. It has also raised questions about the absence of India’s leadership in the negotiation process.

The meeting is likely to shape the Congress party’s strategy both inside and outside Parliament, as it prepares to respond to the government’s legislative agenda and position itself on key national and international issues.

With PTI inputs