New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene an all-party meeting before introducing the proposed Delimitation Bill in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, saying political parties should be consulted before any decision is taken.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Kharge requested that the Centre immediately initiate consultations with all political parties and provide them adequate time to examine the revised Bill before it is tabled in Parliament.
According to reports, the Centre is considering increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to around 850 members as part of the proposed delimitation exercise linked to the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act after the next delimitation process.
Kharge said he had earlier written to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in March and April, seeking an all-party meeting on the issue, but had not received any response.
He stressed that such an important constitutional exercise should be carried out through broad political consensus rather than unilateral action.
The proposed legislation is also expected to require a constitutional amendment, prompting discussions within political circles over whether the ruling NDA would secure the two-thirds majority needed for its passage.
Meanwhile, Supriya Sule, working president of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and a leader of the INDIA bloc, said her party would consider supporting the Delimitation Bill if it ensured a 50% increase in Lok Sabha and Assembly seats across all states on an equal basis.
Reports have also suggested that the Centre is examining the option of increasing the number of seats uniformly across states to address concerns that a population-based delimitation exercise could reduce the parliamentary representation of several southern states. However, the government has not officially announced any proposal regarding the revised Delimitation Bill or the number of parliamentary seats.
