West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday hinted at the possibility of a delimitation exercise in the state, stating that the number of constituencies in the state could increase, necessitating the construction of a new parliament building.
Adhikari made these remarks in the Assembly after Rathendra Bose was elected as the Speaker.
Addressing the House of Representatives, he said that the association’s infrastructure may need major changes in the coming years.
“Many reforms are needed in the future. The state government officials present here today are witnesses of this historic session. If the boundaries are demarcated, the number of Assembly seats may increase significantly. In this case, we may need to construct a new Assembly building.”
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Adhikari’s remarks are seen as important as the Center tries to push for a nationwide delimitation exercise.
The Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislative assemblies in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats in the House of Representatives was rejected on April 17.
Adhikari’s remarks also raised speculation about whether West Bengal might eventually see a delimitation process similar to the one implemented in Assam in 2023.
Opposition parties in Assam claimed that the practice there diminished the importance of minority voters.
