How opposition's WhatsApp group strategy ensured defeat of women's quota-linked delimitation bill

New Delhi: WhatsApp Groups to monitor MPs’ attendance, firming up strategy amid rising confusion about government moves and designing a counter narrative on delimitation kept Opposition managers busy in the last four days that culminated with the falling of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha.

The vote on the Bill on delimitation for early implementation of women’s quota after increasing Lok Sabha seats displayed Opposition unity, which appeared fragile in an election season, as the 235-member Opposition bloc barring nine – seven from Trinamool Congress who were busy in campaigning and two from Congress who were unwell – voted in unison.

The Opposition bloc got support from four others who were unattached, taking their total vote against the government to 230. Two independents were also absent while the ruling NDA got 298, five more than its strength, which includes four YSR Congress votes.

As jubilant Opposition leaders gathered for a meeting on Saturday morning, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi asked them, “why are you all so quiet”, prompting an impromptu celebration.

The run up to the vote on the Constitution Amendment Bill, which requires a two-third majority and in this case needed 352, saw suspense as reports emerged about the government bringing an amendment on 50 per cent rise in Lok Sabha seats and it notifying the 2023 women’s quota law in the midst of the debate.

On Thursday night, Opposition sources claimed the government managers tried to impress upon some of their MPs to submit amendments seeking 50 per cent proportional increase in Lok Sabha seats, promising to accept it, if they were serious about it.

Information trickled in that the government was exploring options to delink the Constitution Amendment Bill and Delimitation Bill.

The Opposition managers also had to literally burn midnight oil on Thursday night after the government notified the implementation of the 2023 women’s quota law. Sources said they had to imagine various scenarios that the government could come up with and prepare counter strategies.

Voting was another challenge, and a warning came from none other than Congress president Mallikajrun Kharge, also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha. He wanted MPs “not to get provoked” by remarks from the Treasury benches while instructing his MPs not to lose cool even if they throw “insults” at their leaders or party. “No walk outs or losing cool was Kharge’s instruction,” a senior leader told DH.

Sources said the Opposition parties were also coordinating over ensuring attendance with senior leaders forming a WhatsApp group to check the progress in ensuring that absent MPs were actually in Parliament.

Fourteen MPs had submitted at least 115 amendments to the Constitution amendment Bill and two linked Bills but were asked by party managers not to move it when it came up, reasoning that they were against the Bill.

The fall of the Bill also did not end the Opposition managers’ troubles, as the ruling BJP had hit the ground accusing them of being anti-women.

A meeting of floor leaders on Saturday morning saw them once again brainstorming over the narrative war.

The first signs of the Opposition line of attack was unveiled when Congress fielded senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at a press conference, her first in Delhi, soon after Parliament adjourned sine die. The initial plan was that Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh would meet the media but it was changed after a suggestion emerged at a meeting of Opposition leaders.

Congress’ Jairam Ramesh told the meeting that the government would push a narrative that the Opposition is against women’s quota but they should advocate the line that the BJP was pushing delimitation through the backdoor.

With elections ongoing, sources said Trinamool Congress suggested that joint programmes may not be feasible and insisted that parties should do programmes on their own. There were suggestions that the Opposition should write a joint letter to the government seeking immediate implementation of women’s quota.