Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of delimitation of constituencies, urging that the current strength of 543 Lok Sabha seats be retained for another 25 years. He also recommended that no changes be made to the state-wise distribution of Lok Sabha seats.
Kharge described delimitation as an extremely crucial issue with far-reaching implications for the country’s politics, and appealed for an all-party meeting to be convened with all political parties before any decision is taken on the matter. He further suggested that the views of the states be given due priority in the process.
Kharge also demanded that 33 percent reservation for women be implemented starting from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, calling for immediate steps to enforce the Women’s Reservation Act without delay.
He said constitutional safeguards must be put in place to ensure that states which have worked towards population control are not put at a disadvantage, and stressed that no unilateral decisions should be taken on delimitation, calling instead for broad-based political consultations on the issue.