Amit Shah's Push for Delimitation Bill Faces Political Challenges

Home Minister Amit Shah Determined to Push Delimitation Bill, Claims Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: Congress leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh has alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the passage of the Delimitation Bill in Parliament. According to Ramesh, the Modi government is struggling to secure the required two-thirds majority for the constitutional amendment bill, which is essential for its approval.

Ramesh pointed out that the government had previously failed to pass a constitutional amendment bill on April 17, 2026, in the Lok Sabha, leading to a major embarrassment for Shah. Despite assurances to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah was unable to gather the required support. The bill, introduced under the guise of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, fell short of the 362 votes needed, garnering only 298 votes.

The Congress leader further claimed that Shah is now resorting to political maneuvering to secure the necessary majority. He highlighted recent defections within opposition parties, including the rebellion of six out of nine MPs from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, who have expressed trust in Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and aligned with his faction.

In addition, Ramesh pointed to significant shifts in other parties. In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has faced a major split following its defeat in the state assembly elections, with over 60 MLAs and 20 MPs joining the NCPI and extending support to the Modi government. Similarly, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has seen seven of its ten Rajya Sabha MPs, including key leaders Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak, defecting to the BJP. Due to the two-thirds majority in these defections, the anti-defection law does not apply.

These developments come as the BJP seeks to consolidate its position in Parliament, where the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has seen an improvement in its numbers compared to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. At that time, the BJP had secured only 240 seats and relied on allies like the JD(U), TDP, Shiv Sena, and LJP to achieve a majority.

The political landscape has since shifted, with the BJP actively working to strengthen its alliances and numbers in both houses of Parliament. However, the passage of the Delimitation Bill remains a critical challenge for the Modi government.