RJD's Manoj Jha questions Centre on delimitation, seeks all-party meet

RJD MP Manoj Jha criticised the Centre over the proposed delimitation, demanding an all-party meeting and citing a lack of consultation. P Chidambaram also called the proposal an 'illusion,' as opposition parties raise process concerns.

RJD Questions Delimitation Process

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha on Wednesday questioned the Centre over the proposed delimitation exercise, alleging a lack of consultation and calling for wider deliberations through an all-party meeting.

Speaking to ANI, Jha asked whether any scientific study had been conducted before moving forward on the issue. "Has any scientific study been done? This government is being run from WhatsApp. You haven't called an all-party meeting. We have a problem with your methods," he said.

He said no party opposed the idea of women's reservation, but stressed that concerns remain regarding the process being followed. "Did anyone oppose the Women's Reservation Bill? We had one demand--a quota within the quota. That demand stands even today," he added.

The RJD leader also questioned why earlier timelines related to delimitation considerations had changed and called for deeper consultation on the matter. "How did you decide not to consider this year? Women's reservation could have been implemented immediately. Do it today. But for other matters, there should be deep deliberation," he said.

Congress Calls Delimitation Proposal an 'Illusion'

Earlier, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former Union Minister, P Chidambaram, also demanded a fair delimitation process, calling the proposal to increase 50 per cent Lok Sabha seats an "illusion."

Addressing a press conference in Coimbatore, P Chidambaram opposed the timing of the three-day Parliament sitting to pass the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. He said, "The BJP government has said that it will convene the House to pass the Delimitation Bill without opposition. If Parliament is convened tomorrow, we will not be able to look at the sections in it. We are not saying no to delimitation. We are saying that we want fair delimitation. But now, suddenly, they are saying that the MP seats will be increased by 50 per cent. Delimitation is an illusion and a deception. By convening the Lok Sabha on April 16 and passing this bill, the central government is trying to create a situation where the opposition MPs in the states where elections are held are unable to participate in it."

Background: Women's Reservation and Seat Increase

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women legislators, is linked to the delimitation process in the Lok Sabha.

The government is planning to implement the women's reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.

According to sources, the government has proposed to increase the number of seats in the House to 850, with 815 seats proposed for the States and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats at present.

While the seats in the Lok Sabha will witness a 50 per cent increase, the opposition parties have expressed concern as this increase will not be on a pro-rata basis for each state. The INDIA bloc parties claimed that the proposed delimitation shrinks the representation of southern states in the Lok Sabha.

The delimitation exercise, under Article 82 of the Constitution, is linked to the population of a constituency. (ANI)

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