Delimitation push takes shape

Sources said the delimitation Bill is back on the Govt’s agenda for next week’s Monsoon Session, with confidence of passage

A crucial meeting of the NDA group of ministers, including Union Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh and Union Minister for Home Minister, Amit Shah, was held at Kartavya Bhavan on Friday.

The meeting, held ahead of the Monsoon session of the Parliament, was also attended by Union ministers and NDA allies Lallan Singh (JD-U), Jayant Chaudhary (RLD) and Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu (TDP), to discuss the ruling coalition’s strategy in the upcoming Parliament session beginning July 20, sources said.

Sources said the meeting discussed Government business for the upcoming session and its push for of converting the delimitation and the women’s quota Bills into an Acts of Parliament during the session. Another round of meeting of NDA Parliamentary Party has been scheduled for Tuesday in Parliament House, which has been christened ‘Mangal Milan’. The parliamentary party meeting is traditionally held on Tuesdays during Parliament sessions.

Sources said the delimitation Bill is again on the agenda of the Government next week's Monsoon Session and the Government is confident of gathering support to get the legislation passed.

The NDA is confident in getting the required two-thirds number with the support of various Opposition parties, except the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

The Government is learnt to be working on multiple formulations to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats for all states by 50 per cent to assuage the concerns of southern States, as it seeks to operationalise a fresh draft of the Constitution amendment Bill on women’s quota law.

The Government also plans to introduce the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill in the upcoming session to replace the ordinance effected to exempt foreign investors from income tax on interest earnings and capital gains from investment in Government securities (G-secs).

The Ordinance was promulgated last month to attract foreign capital to ease pressure on the depreciating rupee due to the West Asia crisis. The Income-tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will replace the Income Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026. Sources said the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, listed for introduction, consideration and passing, may be first brought in the Rajya Sabha. The amendment Bill seeks to give the national song Vande Mataram the same statutory protection as the national anthem Jana Gana Mana.

The Monsoon session of Parliament, beginning July 20, is likely to see Opposition Attack on the Government on a variety of issues, including NEET paper leak, death of Indian seafarers in the West Asia conflict and the issue of blended petrol. The Opposition will also raise the issue of alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

A weakened Opposition following assembly poll results in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and differences between the Congress and the DMK over the formation of Government by the TVK in Tamil Nadu are likely to embolden the ruling alliance in Parliament during the session.

The DMK on Friday said it will study the Bill on proposed delimitation, as and when it is tabled in Parliament, and take a decision based on “merits” to protect Tamil Nadu’s interests.