Addressing an election rally in Velachery, Tamil Nadu, Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the Centre refused to hold an all-party meeting to discuss the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026.

He said, "The BJP government tried to play a dangerous game by linking women's reservation with delimitation based on the 2011 census. It means punishing states like Tamil Nadu, which successfully controlled the population. The Opposition stood united, and Congress in Delhi led from the front, and DMK, TMC, SP all stood shoulder to shoulder to defeat the Bill."

"Tamil Nadu CM was the first man to raise a voice against the Bill. He said it was anti-people and anti-South, so he tore and burnt the Bill. This is a victory for every citizen of the country. This is a victory for federalism and justice. We gave 33 per cent reservation to women in the Panchayat and local bodies. This is the achievement of Congress, not PM Modi," he added.

He called the delimitation exercise "cheating" against the country.

"In 2023, we unanimously passed the Women's Reservation Bill. Why did PM Modi not implement it? He kept it in cold storage for 30 months. I wrote three letters to PM Modi and Rijiju, asking them to implement the Bill, but they did not do so. I requested an all-party meeting, but instead they called individually. This is cheating against the country," Kharge said.