Jairam Ramesh accused the PM and Home Minister of 'splitting parties' out of revenge after failing to pass a Constitution Amendment Bill. He claimed the move is to lower opposition morale but insisted the INDIA bloc remains steadfast.
Referring to events in Parliament on April 17, 2026, Ramesh said the Home Minister "faced insult" when the bill could not be passed as the government fell short of the required 2/3 majority despite its efforts. Earlier, the Lok Sabha took up the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation Bill, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill together for passing. In the division that took place on the Constitution Amendment Bill following the debate on the three bills, 298 members voted in favour and 230 against.
Govt Resorting to 'Splitting Parties' After Bill Failure: Jairam Ramesh
"Understand the chronology of events. On April 17, 2026, the Home Minister faced insult in Lok Sabha when the Constitution Amendment Bill could not be passed, as they could not get a 2/3 majority in the House. Despite all his efforts, the Home Minister did not get a 2/3 majority," Ramesh said while speaking to ANI.
He claimed the setback "upset the Home Minister and the Prime Minister a lot" and alleged that the government is now "engaged in splitting different parties" to compensate.
"With confidence, I can say that they will not get a 2/3 majority. This is being done to lower the morale of the Opposition. But this has no effect on our morale; those who want to leave may leave," he added.
Monsoon Session and 'Psychological Games'
On being asked if this is an INDIA alliance vs NDA fight, Ramesh said the challenge was the upcoming monsoon session. He alleged the Home Minister had claimed that if he got a 2/3rd majority before it, he would call a special session of Parliament, and was therefore "engaged in increasing their numbers".
"The challenge we face is that the Monsoon session of Parliament is approaching, and the Home Minister has claimed that if he gets a 2/3rd majority before it, then he will call a special session of the Parliament. Hence, he is engaged in increasing their numbers. Only because the Home Minister had the confidence of getting a 2/3rd majority in the Lok Sabha had he called a special session on 16th April. But the Opposition stood united, and they (BJP) got only 298 votes (on the Constitutional Amendment Bill). They are playing psychological games now. Since 17th April, he has adopted a policy of revenge politics," Ramesh said.
'Attack on Constitution and Democracy'
Ramesh described the government's actions as "an attack on the Constitution, an attack on democracy" and took a swipe at the Home Minister for "engaging in this kind of politics while sitting on the very same chair once occupied by Sardar Patel".
"This is an attack on the Constitution and our democracy. Being in the same post as Sardar Patel once, such politics is being done by the current Home Minister," Ramesh stated.
He called it the "National Defector Alliance" and said, "This 'National Defector Alliance' (NDA) is not going to get a 2/3rd majority."
INDIA Bloc's Stance Amid Defection Allegations
When asked about possible defections in ally parties such as the TMC and Shiv Sena (UBT), Ramesh avoided commenting on their internal matters. He stated that an INDIA bloc meeting was held on June 8 with 23 parties present.
"I will not comment on other parties. The INDIA alliance meeting was held on the 8th... 23 parties were present. I repeat, they will not get a 2/3rd majority no matter what they do in the LS (Lok Sabha). They are adopting the same strategy in the RS (Rajya Sabha) as well... even in the RS, they are making people resign and forcing them to join the BJP," he alleged.
Political Turmoil in Maharashtra and West Bengal
The political landscapes of Maharashtra and West Bengal are currently gripped by significant internal tremors, signalling a potential shift in regional power dynamics. Maharashtra is witnessing a fresh political buzz around "Operation Tiger", with reports suggesting that seven out of nine Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MPs are in touch with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and may be considering a switch, reviving concerns of another split similar to the 2022 breakaway led by Shinde that divided the party into two factions.
Shiv Sena MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi has claimed today that six MPs from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) have expressed their confidence in Eknath Shinde and joined the Sena faction. However, there has been no official confirmation from the party regarding any breakaway faction.
In West Bengal, a total of 20 rebel TMC MPs had on June 14 met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submitted a letter about the merger of their group with the Tripura-based Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCPI). (ANI)
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