Supriya Sule Discusses Delimitation With Amit Shah, Seeks Fairness In Proposed Exercise

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule on Wednesday shared details of a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the proposed delimitation exercise, saying the Centre had presented a "practical formula" aimed at building consensus among political parties. Sule said the Opposition was not opposed to any legislation in principle, provided it was fair and ensured equitable representation for all states.

Speaking about the discussions, Sule said she, Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MP and parliamentary group leader Arvind Sawant, and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi were invited to New Delhi for consultations with the Centre. She said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju briefed the leaders on the proposed delimitation Bill before Amit Shah outlined the government's proposal. According to Sule, the meeting was part of the Centre's outreach to various Opposition parties to seek broader agreement before introducing the legislation in Parliament.

Sule revealed that Shah proposed increasing the existing Lok Sabha seats allocated to each state by 50 per cent, instead of determining the increase solely on the basis of population. According to her, the proposal is intended to address concerns raised by several states that fear they could lose relative political representation if future seat allocation is based only on population figures. She suggested that the formula could help balance regional interests while expanding the size of the Lok Sabha.

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"We are not against any Bill if it is fair," Sule said, adding that her party's primary concern was ensuring justice to all states through a transparent and balanced delimitation process. She emphasised that the Opposition wanted any changes to parliamentary representation to protect the federal structure and avoid creating disparities between states that have successfully implemented population control measures and those with higher population growth.

According to Sule, Amit Shah also informed the delegation that he had already held separate meetings with leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on the proposed Bill. She said the Union minister acknowledged that different parties had expressed varying opinions on the issue, reflecting the complexity of achieving consensus on a politically sensitive subject that could reshape parliamentary representation across the country.

Delimitation refers to the process of redrawing the boundaries and allocation of parliamentary and Assembly constituencies to reflect demographic changes. The issue has generated significant political debate, particularly among southern states, which have expressed concerns that a population-based redistribution of seats could reduce their relative representation despite their success in controlling population growth. The Centre has maintained that consultations with political parties are aimed at addressing these concerns before moving forward.

The discussions between the government and Opposition leaders come as efforts continue to build consensus on the proposed legislation. While the Centre has not officially announced the final framework of the delimitation Bill, Sule's remarks indicate that consultations are ongoing and that multiple options are being considered. The outcome of these discussions is expected to play a crucial role in determining the future composition of the Lok Sabha and the balance of representation among India's states.

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