BJP seeking two-thirds majority to end reservations, amend constitution: Congress

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 24, 2026 15:53 IST

The Congress has alleged that the BJP is trying to secure a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha because its "real and ultimate target" is to amend the Constitution and end reservation. In an interview with PTI Videos, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the ruling party was pushing delimitation in the name of women's reservation and linked that effort to its broader political strategy.

Ramesh also connected recent splits in opposition parties to that objective. He claimed the BJP wanted "400 paar" in 2024 so that it could "amend the Constitution and finish off reservation", and said recent developments involving the TMC and Shiv Sena (UBT) supported that charge.

Ramesh said that if the government was genuinely committed to women's reservation, it should implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam for the 2029 general elections on the current Lok Sabha strength of 543 seats. He said the opposition's vote in Parliament was "against delimitation and not against women's reservation" and added, "What had the Congress stated - that you should give women reservation on 543 seats?"

Referring to defections in opposition ranks, Ramesh said, "The single cause for this is the humiliation that the self-styled Chanakya of Indian politics suffered on the 17th of April in the Lok Sabha. He promised prime minister (Narendra Modi) that he would get the three delimitation bills passed. He could not muster more than 298 votes in the Lok Sabha." He added that the home minister thought he could push the measures through, but "his bluff was called."

Ramesh said, "I think he decided to take revenge on that day for that humiliation he had been forced to suffer and now he is busy with the 'todh-phod ki rajniti'. He broke the TMC, he's breaking the Shiv Sena, all in his search for a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha - you're seeing the truth of our 2024 campaign. They were asking for '400 paar' so that they can amend the Constitution to finish off reservation." He also said, "That was the whole logic of '400 paar' and now you are seeing why he is splitting all these parties."

Asked whether the BJP was seeking a two-thirds majority to target reservation, Ramesh said the immediate objective was the delimitation Bill but the larger aim was ending reservation. "The ultimate objective is to end reservation as the Constitution has provided," he said, while alleging that despite the prime minister's statements, leaders in the wider Sangh Parivar had spoken against reservation.

He said the BJP wanted to amend the Constitution in several ways and had "always been uncomfortable with this Constitution". Recalling the adoption of the Constitution on November 26, 1949, he said the Organiser had attacked it and claimed effigies of Jawaharlal Nehru, B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi were burnt, adding that the founding leaders were criticised for having given the country the Constitution.

On the women's reservation measure, Ramesh said the BJP's intention was not only to provide reservation for women. "Their real target is to remove reservation (for SCs, STs and OBCs) and not grant women's reservations," he alleged. He said there were still three years left in the government's term and delimitation was only "the first milestone".

Asked whether the opposition would accept a formula of a 50 per cent increase in Lok Sabha seats for every state, Ramesh said the issue was the manner in which delimitation would be carried out. Referring to earlier exercises in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir, he questioned whether the Election Commission should conduct it and alleged there was a "jugalbandi" between the government and the EC. He asked, "Will you get the delimitation done by the EC which has a big blot on it in Bihar, West Bengal and UP?"

Ramesh said the Congress's objections were not limited to the proposed increase in seats. "In 500 odd MPs, they do not get a chance to speak and you want to get 815 MPs. For whom are you doing this? And what happens to the Rajya Sabha? There are questions about that and the government is silent," he said. He added, "We want that after the caste census, delimitation be done and the next Lok Sabha should be conducted on 543 seats with one-third reserved for women."

On the numbers required for a constitutional amendment, Ramesh said, "The Home Minister thinks he's going to get 348 which is the minimum required under various permutations and combinations - you require 2/3 of those presented voting." When asked if the DMK would abstain, he said he would not predict what other parties would do. He added, "All I know is that he (Shah) has broken the TMC. He's broken the Shiv Sena. He's gone from 298 to 26 more. That means he's reached 324. He still has a long way to go."

Ramesh said he did not believe the BJP would get a two-thirds majority in the current Lok Sabha or in future elections, claiming that Dalits, backward classes and Adivasis understood why the party wanted such numbers. He also said some of the BJP's advisers had argued for a new Constitution.

On April 17, the Constitution amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029, along with an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats, was defeated in the Lok Sabha. While 298 members voted in favour and 230 against, the Bill needed 352 votes for a two-thirds majority out of the 528 members who voted. This week, six of the nine Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs pledged allegiance to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, while 20 rebel TMC MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and announced their merger with the NCPI, a Tripura-based registered unrecognised political party.

In sum, the Congress has sought to frame the battle over delimitation, women's reservation and recent defections in opposition parties as part of a larger BJP attempt to reach a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, while reiterating its demand for women's reservation on the existing 543 seats and delimitation only after a caste census.

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