Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated during the Lok Sabha debate on the Delimitation Bill that the number of Lok Sabha seats in each state will increase by 50 percent. According to his information, the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha will rise to 815, with 272 seats reserved for women. The government has already introduced the Delimitation Bill in Parliament today. Opposition parties have accused the bill of increasing seats in northern states where they are strong while weakening the representation of South Indian states.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has announced opposition to the delimitation, pledging to contest it in the April 23 elections. Congress MP K.C. Venugopal opposed the bill in Parliament, stating, “In 2023, Parliament had made arrangements for 33 percent reservation for women. Opposition leaders demanded that this be implemented from the 2024 elections, but it was not.” Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh explained that the opposition is due to the association of delimitation with women’s reservation.
Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “The BJP’s plan is to manipulate delimitation of all Lok Sabha seats in their favor for the 2029 elections.” He added, “Voter distribution is uneven, and the geographically divided constituencies appear disconnected from others.” Opponents have also described this as a political strategy aimed at appealing to women ahead of elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the bill as extremely unjust and harmful to southern states. BJP spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla dismissed the allegations made by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, stating that women have waited 30 years for these rights, and they are now being implemented.
