“We Defeated It to Defend the Idea of India…”: Rahul Gandhi Slams Defeated Constitution Amendment Bill; Alleges “Hidden” Delimitation Push

A day after the Centre’s delimitation-linked Constitution Amendment Bill was defeated in Parliament, Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition blocked the legislation to protect federalism and prevent any reduction in the representation of states such as Tamil Nadu. Addressing an election rally in Tamil Nadu’s Ponneri, he claimed the bill was presented as part of the women’s reservation framework but contained provisions that would alter the balance of power between states.

“In the so-called Women’s Bill, delimitation was hidden. The idea was to reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation in the Union of India,” asserted the senior Congress leader. Gandhi alleged that the proposed delimitation exercise would disproportionately affect southern, smaller and north-eastern states. “The delimitation move by BJP was to weaken the strength of southern states, small states, north-eastern states,” he said.

Referring to the vote in Parliament, he said, “We defeated in Parliament a bill in which delimitation was hidden; we defeated it to defend the idea of India.”

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, required a two-thirds majority but fell short, with 298 MPs voting in favour and 230 against. Following its defeat, the government did not move two related bills, including one on delimitation and another to increase Lok Sabha seats, stating they were linked to the main legislation.

Rahul Gandhi reiterated that India is a federal structure where states must retain their voice. “India, that is Bharat, is a Union of States, and every single state should have a voice, be free to express itself, and protect its tradition,” he said. He also criticised the Centre’s broader political approach, alleging attempts to centralise power. “Then the Prime Minister says ‘one nation, one language, one people’, and attacks the Constitution of India,” he said.

Turning to Tamil Nadu, Gandhi accused the BJP of targeting the state’s linguistic and cultural identity. “When I see them attacking Tamil language and Tamil culture… how dare they attack the language and culture of Tamil Nadu?” he said. He further claimed that the broader objective behind delimitation was political. “The whole plan was to reduce your strength nationally,” he said, adding that the DMK and INDIA bloc were opposing such moves.

Launching an attack on the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Gandhi alleged that the party was no longer independent. “The AIADMK had a great tradition of defending Tamil Nadu. But that AIADMK died long back… it is fully controlled by Modi and Shah,” he said.

Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4, in a contest between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the NDA, led in the state by the AIADMK along with the BJP and its allies.