NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule Open To Delimitation Proposal If Lok Sabha Seats Rise 50% Across All States

Mumbai: NCP MP Supriya Sule has expressed her party's openness to considering the proposed delimitation exercise if it leads to a 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats across all states and includes women's reservation. During a media briefing in Delhi, Sule clarified that the BJP had invited opposition leaders for a meeting to discuss the bill, which proposes to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats by 50% in every state, regardless of population.

Sule argued that the increasing size of parliamentary constituencies, now ranging from 25 to 30 lakh voters, has made it challenging for MPs to effectively represent their constituents. She stated that if the delimitation Bill were accompanied by a 50% seat increase and a priority given to women's reservation, the NCP-SP could consider it positively in the national interest.

However, the NCP-SP has not yet taken a formal decision as they have not received an official copy of the proposed Bill. They want to discuss the proposal with their INDIA bloc partners to build a broader consensus before making a final stand. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, on the other hand, opposed increasing the number of constituencies, arguing that delimitation should be carried out within the existing strength of the Lok Sabha.

Wadettiwar alleged that reserved constituencies had been shifted during the Congress regime without increasing the overall number of seats, and he criticized the idea of creating constituencies favorable to the ruling party through unfair practices.