Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday described the issue of delimitation of Lok Sabha seats as controversial, saying it is being done without conducting a census and may face fierce opposition from southern states.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Raut said there was no reason for his party to oppose the Nari Shakti Vandhan Adhiniyam, or women’s reservation law, which the Center intends to implement early.
The Senate has never stood in the way of women’s electoral interests and will never do so, he said, adding that Maharashtra was the first state to grant reservations to women in local bodies.
“It is the demarcation of the border that will create a dangerous situation in the country. The issue of demarcation of the border is controversial and is being done without conducting a population census,” Raut said.
“There will be widespread opposition to this from the southern states,” he said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy have already opposed the move.
The budget session of Parliament has been extended, and a special three-day session of the House has been held from April 16 to 18, during which amendments to ‘Nari Shakti Vandhan Adhinyam’ will be brought forward for implementation in 2029.
The number of Lok Sabha seats will be increased to as many as 850 seats from the current 543 to “activate” the Women’s Reservation Act before the 2029 Parliamentary elections, after a delimitation exercise to be carried out based on the latest published census.
According to the Constitution Amendment Bill, which will be introduced in the next special session of Parliament, seats in state assemblies and union territories will also be increased to accommodate the 33 per cent reserved for women.
Raut said it is proposed to increase Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra from 48 to 72 and Vidhan Sabha seats from 288 to 400.
The current Vidhan Bhavan does not have the capacity to accommodate a larger number of MLAs, the Rajya Sabha MP said. “Is this a ploy to break Maharashtra on the pretext that Vidhan Bhavan cannot accommodate 400 MLAs?” – Raut asked.
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