Convene assembly to discuss delimitation within 48 hrs, Naveen Patnaik asks CM

Patnaik reiterated BJD’s support for women’s political representation, and that it has backed measures to expand women’s participation in governance

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday asked chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi to convene a special session of Odisha assembly within 48 hours to discuss the delimitation exercise and pass a resolution to protect the state’s political rights.

Naveen Patnaik warned that Odisha could face decline in its share of parliamentary representation. (HT File Photo)

Patnaik said Odisha could face decline in its share of parliamentary representation if the proposed Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 is implemented without safeguards.

“Future generations will not forgive us if we sit quietly while Odisha gets reduced to a politically insignificant state,” Patnaik wrote.

The Centre has convened a special sitting of Parliament beginning Thursday to discuss a key constitution amendment bill that has provisions for the women’s quota law implementation and the contentious delimitation exercise, triggering concerns that the exercise would reduce their proportionate representation in Parliament because of a better performance on population control.

Patnaik said Odisha sends 21 MPs to the Lok Sabha, accounting for about 3.9% of the total. “If the amendment is passed, Odisha’s representation will rise to 29, but its proportion will fall to 3.4 per cent,” he said, warning that this would effectively amount to a loss of influence at national level despite an increase in the absolute number of seats.

He argued that Odisha risks losing nearly 15% of its political representation, adding that the state could emerge as one of the “biggest losers” in the exercise.

“You have the moral and legitimate power to do so. Future generations will not forgive us if we sit quietly while Odisha gets reduced to a politically insignificant state,” Patnaik said in the letter, demanding that the government convene a special session to pass a resolution that “not even 0.001 per cent of the political rights of Odisha will be allowed to be taken away by other states”.

Patnaik reiterated BJD’s support for women’s political representation, and that it has backed measures to expand women’s participation in governance, including implementing 50% reservation for women in local bodies. The call comes as debate over delimitation intensifies across India.

Leaders from several southern states also have argued that delimitation would disproportionately benefit northern states where population growth is higher, and penalise states that performed better in controlling population growth and improved development indicators.