Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress chief, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that the strength of the Lok Sabha remains at 543 seats permanently and requesting an all-party meeting to discuss the proposed delimitation exercise. Here are more details on this demand.
In a recent development, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting that the existing strength of the Lok Sabha remain at 543 seats permanently for the next 25 years. This demand follows the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's proposed delimitation exercise aimed at redrawing the boundaries of electoral constituencies.
Kharge also called for the implementation of one-third reservation for women from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. He emphasized that all political parties should be given adequate time to study the proposed delimitation before any special session of Parliament is considered.
The BJP-led Union government introduced the 2026 Constitution 131st Amendment Bill in a three-day special session of Parliament in April. This bill aimed to amend the 2023 Women’s Reservations Act and redraw the boundaries of electoral constituencies. However, the bill was rejected by the Lok Sabha with 298 MPs voting in its favour and 230 against.
Kharge had previously urged Modi to hold an all-party meeting on the matter on July 16. His request was prompted by Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju's statement indicating a possible special session of Parliament. In response, Rijiju said in an interview with India Today on Wednesday that 'when the House is not prorogued , then the session can be called', without giving a direct answer.
The Monsoon session of Parliament concluded on August 13, but the session has not yet been formally ended (prorogued). Typically, prorogation takes place within three to four days of adjournment. On August 20, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay asked the Union government to provide a legislative assurance that any state’s representation in Parliament will not reduce due to the delimitation exercise.
Kharge's demand for a permanent increase in the Lok Sabha strength could lead to a political standoff between the BJP and opposition parties over the delimitation exercise, which has the potential to alter the representation of various states in the Lok Sabha.
Source:
Scroll.in
