The Congress will hold a meeting of its Working Committee on Friday to deliberate on key issues including the government’s proposed amendments to the women’s reservation bill, the delimitation exercise, and the ongoing West Asia conflict, sources said.
The meeting is scheduled for 3 pm at the party’s Indira Bhawan headquarters in New Delhi.
According to a report by news agency PTI, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will discuss the Centre’s move to amend the Women’s Reservation Act ahead of its planned implementation before the 2029 parliamentary elections, as well as proposals to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, of which 273 would be reserved for women. The Union Cabinet is learnt to have cleared draft bills in this regard on Wednesday.
PTI reported, citing sources, that the Congress Working Committee meeting will be held at 3 pm at the party’s Indira Bhawan headquarters here.
The party leadership is also expected to take up the proposed delimitation exercise and its potential political and regional implications. The Congress has warned that any rushed delimitation could have “dangerous consequences” and urged the government to proceed with caution, particularly citing concerns that states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala could be put at a disadvantage.
Top leaders are likely to review the Centre’s approach to the women’s quota legislation, which the Opposition has alleged is being used as a political tool ahead of upcoming elections. The Congress has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to use the proposal for “early implementation as a poll issue” and said the move amounts to “a gross violation” of the model code of conduct.
The CWC will also discuss developments in West Asia, including the recently announced two-week ceasefire involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
The party has been critical of the government’s handling of the crisis, questioning its diplomatic positioning and raising concerns over India’s absence from the ceasefire negotiations. It has also described Pakistan’s role in the talks as a “severe setback” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “highly personalised diplomacy,” while asking why the Prime Minister was “not in the picture at all during the ceasefire negotiations.”
(With inputs from PTI)