Mumbai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Thursday, spoke on the Women’s Reservation and delimitation bills, saying that misleading information is being spread in South India about the move. He also asserted that southern states would not face any loss in the upcoming delimitation exercise, assuring that no one would be at a disadvantage due to the process.
Union Home Minister, giving examples, said that Tamil Nadu will get 20 seats, Kerala 10, Andhra Pradesh 13, and Telangana 9. Maharashtra, which has the second-highest number of MPs in the Lok Sabha after Uttar Pradesh, will gain 24 more seats.
INDIA Bloc Leaders Oppose The Delimitation Bill
Leaders of the INDIA bloc on Wednesday resolved to oppose the delimitation bill being advanced through an amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which provides 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
While reiterating their support for women’s reservation and calling for the Act's implementation, the opposition objected to the proposed delimitation exercise, arguing that it could dilute the representation of southern and north-eastern states in the Lok Sabha.
The decision was taken at a meeting held at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi, attended by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, among other INDIA bloc leaders.
About The Women's Reservation Bill
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 provides for 33% reservation for women in legislatures and is presently linked to the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies. The government plans to implement this quota before the 2029 general elections by amending the 2023 law and introducing a constitutional provision to delink delimitation from the 2027 Census.
Sources also suggest a proposal to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha to 850 seats—815 for states and 35 for Union Territories—up from the existing 543 seats.
