Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain said the BJP lacks the parliamentary majority required to pass the Delimitation Bill.
The dispute centers on the constitutional threshold for redistricting legislation, which could fundamentally alter electoral boundaries and political representation in India.
Speaking in an interview with India Today, Hussain said the BJP holds a parliamentary mandate of only 240 seats [1]. He said the current government is "on crutches" due to this numerical limitation [1].
Hussain said the government cannot push the Delimitation Bill because it does not possess the constitutional two-thirds majority necessary for such legislation [1]. This requirement serves as a safeguard for significant structural changes to the electoral system.
According to reports, the Delimitation Bill was previously defeated in Parliament on April 17, 2024 [1], [2]. The opposition continues to oppose the measure, citing the government's inability to secure the necessary votes to revive the proposal [2].
Strategic discussions regarding the opposition's stance on the bill and other parliamentary matters took place at the residence of Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi [2]. The Congress party has indicated it will continue to challenge the government's legislative agenda on these grounds.
"The mandate for BJP is only 240 in this country," Hussain said [1].
“The mandate for BJP is only 240 in this country. The government is on crutches.”
The tension over the Delimitation Bill highlights a critical legislative bottleneck. Because the BJP lacks a two-thirds majority, the government must either seek broad cross-party consensus or face a prolonged stalemate on electoral redistricting, which remains a high-stakes issue for regional political influence.
