New Delhi, April 17
As the debate in the Lok Sabha on the three bills – Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation Bill, 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 – introduced by the Union government resumed on Friday, several Opposition MPs alleged that southern states will be disproportionately impacted if the bill is passed in its current form.
DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi said that the opposition wants clarity from the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the calculations he provided on Thursday on how many seats will be increased in the Southern states. Shah had said that 50 per cent of the seats will be increased across states in India.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor warned, “By linking women’s reservation to delimitation, the aspirations of Indian women are being held hostage to one of the most divisive political exercises in our history. Future delimitations would reward states that failed to check population growth with greater political clout, sending the wrong message that governance excellence leads to political irrelevance. You have rushed into delimitation with the same haste as demonetisation, and we all know the damage that it caused. Delimitation, sir, will become political demonetisation. Don’t do it.”
Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also lashed out at the Centre over delimitation and women’s reservation, questioning why these Bills were pushed through a special session. She alleged the move was timed deliberately with the assembly polls in four states and a UT. Badal also pressed the government on its plans to raise Lok Sabha seats after delimitation. “We don’t support the Delimitation Bill,” declared Harsimrat, stressing that democracy demands equal representation for all. She accused the BJP of remembering women only during elections, adding that while her party backs women’s reservation, the government keeps shifting the goalpost. She pointed out that the Centre earlier blocked its implementation, remarking, “We reached Parliament without representation,” and demanded that women’s reservation be enforced on the existing strength of Parliament without delimitation.
On women’s reservation and delimitation, Congress MP Kumari Selja asserted, “Every party has clearly stated its stand and explained why we oppose it, but the BJP’s position remains vague. You haven’t even initiated the process to implement reservations under the earlier law, nor did you notify it after its enactment. Now the ruling side stands exposed.”
