Congress Raises Questions Over Delay in Lok Sabha Prorogation Amid Delimitation Bill Speculation

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday questioned why the Lok Sabha has not been prorogued even ten days after being adjourned sine die, suggesting that the delay might be linked to the government's efforts to secure a two-thirds majority for a Constitutional Amendment Bill on delimitation.

Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, pointed out that the usual gap between adjournment sine die and prorogation is two to four days, though there have been instances where both happened on the same day. He noted that while longer gaps occurred in 2015 (28 days) and 2021 (20 days), there were no "diabolical moves" at that time.

The Congress MP was referring to a proposed twin package: a Constitutional Amendment Bill to advance women's reservation to 2029 and a Delimitation Bill that could increase the Lok Sabha's strength to up to 850 seats. The government has stated that all states would see a 50% increase in seats, maintaining the current proportion based on the 1971 census.

Former Lok Sabha Secretary General P D T Achary told The Indian Express that there is no fixed rule for prorogation after sine die adjournment. He explained that prorogation is a routine practice done by the President on the advice of the Council of Ministers, with no stipulated time limit. In one past instance, the House was not prorogued until the next session began.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju did not respond to requests for comment.