I.N.D.I.A bloc meet on cards, delimitation and women's quota key focus

New Delhi: The I.N.D.I.A bloc is likely to meet later this month to discuss strategy and future course of action as the Opposition feels that the Narendra Modi government may again try to bring a Bill on delimitation of Lok Sabha seats after smarting a defeat in Lok Sabha.

The meeting, which is likely to be held in Delhi, will come only after the results of the Assembly elections are out on May 4 and is unlikely to be a post mortem on the outcome at a time I.N.D.I.A allies have fought against each other in West Bengal and Kerala.

The electoral outcome, however, will have a bearing on the meeting as demands for a more active leadership role may be raised by Trinamool Congress if Mamata Banerjee returns to power in West Bengal. It is also to be seen how the Left parties’ attitude over Kerala results.

Sources said the Opposition parties had not got the opportunity to sit and discuss issues after they managed to defeat the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 on delimitation and subsequent implementation of women’s quota. 

The Bill could not get two-third majority in Lok Sabha during the special sitting last month. While the NDA got 298 votes, the Opposition polled 230, leaving the ruling side with a deficit of 54 votes for two-third majority.

The Opposition has been arguing that the women’s quota should be implemented at the existing number of 543 seats while arguing that the government did not have a detailed discussion on the contours of the proposed delimitation that they felt was discriminatory to southern states.

A senior Opposition leader said they would discuss how to tackle the government’s next move if it plans to bring a new Bill on delimitation and then link it to women’s quota. “They are smarting under a defeat but are not going to leave it and we will have to have a strategy,” the leader said.

The meeting will discuss several scenarios, including writing a joint letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking implementation of 33 per cent women’s quota. The joint letter idea could not be implemented as parties like Trinamool Congress were against such an exercise during the poll campaign phase.

The Opposition pointed out that the proposal made by Home Minister Amit Shah to a few parties during meetings in March that the Lok Sabha seats will be increased by 50 per cent in all states in the text of the Bill. “This itself showed the government’s intentions,” the leader said.

The Opposition also dismissed theories that the ruling BJP was aware of the Bill’s possible defeat when it brought it to Lok Sabha. 

“The Bill was aimed at winning the 2029 elections. We read through their motives. The BJP did not expect unity in the Opposition. They thought that Samajwadi Party may not join hands with other allies while a large number of Trinamool Congress and DMK MPs would be absent due to campaigning. Both did not happen,” the leader said.

The ruling BJP has been holding protests and party-ruled governments have got resolutions passed against the Opposition in the Assemblies in their states.