Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), on Wednesday alleged that the Centre’s proposed move to carry out population-based delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, under the guise of women’s reservation, is ‘highly discriminatory’ against Punjab.
Badal said his party fully supports women’s reservation but strongly opposes what he described as an attempt to use it as a ‘camouflage’ for delimitation. “Punjab, a state with a predominantly minority character, will be the biggest victim of this exercise,” the former deputy chief minister said in a post on X.
He claimed that while Punjab may see only a marginal rise in its Lok Sabha representation, neighbouring Haryana could witness nearly a 100 per cent increase in seats, effectively doubling its presence in the Lower House.
Criticising the population-based approach, Badal argued that it penalises states like Punjab that have effectively implemented population control measures, while benefiting those that have not. “This move punishes Punjab for following the national agenda on population stabilisation and rewards states that have lagged behind,” he said.
Also read: BBMB appointment notification: Punjab AAP leader slams Centre
The SAD leader further alleged that the proposed delimitation could disproportionately shift political power towards a few Hindi heartland states—Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan—by significantly increasing their combined share in the Lok Sabha to over 40 per cent.
“This would deal a serious blow to India’s federal structure, which is already under strain,” he said, adding that the SAD will lead an all-party initiative in Punjab to oppose the move in the interest of federal balance and national unity. Badal reiterated that his party backs the Women's Reservation Act but not its linkage with delimitation.
According to the proposal, the total number of Lok Sabha seats could be increased from the current 543 to around 850 to implement the reservation for women ahead of the 2029 general elections. The expansion would follow a fresh delimitation exercise based on the latest available census data.
The proposed changes are expected to be introduced through amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam during a special session of Parliament scheduled from April 16 to April 18. The plan also includes increasing the number of seats in state assemblies to accommodate the 33 per cent quota for women.
Follow us
