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Delimitation must not be manipulated for electoral gain: Punjab CM
Bhagwant Mann demands proportional seat increases across all states; AAP alleges tampering with Lok Sabha structure under guise of women’s quota.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday demanded that the Union government either implement the women’s reservation law based on the current Lok Sabha strength or ensure that any increase in seats is applied proportionately across all states.
Speaking after the introduction of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and the Delimitation Bill in the Lok Sabha, Mann cautioned against using the delimitation exercise for partisan benefit.
While affirming his support for women’s reservation, Mann argued that the quota should be applied to the existing 543 seats.
He expressed concern over potential disparities if the House strength is expanded to 850, alleging that the BJP intends to disproportionately increase seats in regions where it is historically strong while suppressing numbers in opposition-held areas.
“If you increase seats in one state from 85 to 140, then Punjab’s 13 seats must rise to 20, and West Bengal’s 42 should reach 60,” Mann said, insisting that the process must be driven by census data rather than “wrong intentions.”
Echoing these concerns, AAP leader Manish Sisodia alleged that the legislative package serves as a “garb” for tampering with the country’s demographic representation. Sisodia accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of adopting a “trend” of redrawing boundaries or cutting votes in areas where the BJP struggles to win.
Labelling the move a “Modi Vidhan,” Sisodia claimed the delimitation strategy is designed to inflate seat counts in BJP strongholds while reducing them elsewhere.
Their remarks come in the backdrop of the debate in the Lok Sabha, where the constitutional amendment Bill was introduced after a division of votes, receiving 251 in favour and 185 against.
