Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said delimitation should not be carried out to favour any particular political party. He said the Centre should either implement the women’s reservation law based on the present Lok Sabha strength or increase seats of all states in equal proportion.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill seeking changes to the women’s quota law was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after a division of votes. Along with it, two other Bills — the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill — were also introduced in the House.
Responding to questions on the issue, Mann said he supports women’s reservation but it must be implemented on the current Lok Sabha strength of 543
seats. He added that if the total number of seats is increased to around 850, then every state must get additional seats in the same proportion.
"Increase seats in Punjab from 13 to 20. If one (state) has 85 seats, raise it to 120, but they are taking 85 seats to 140. In (West) Bengal, raise its seats from 42 to 58-60. But they will not raise it to that level," Mann said.
"From where they (BJP) are winning, they intend to raise number of seats and from where they lose, they want seats to be kept at the lower number," he said. "It (delimitation) should not happen with wrong intentions," Mann said.
Mann claimed that the ruling party was planning to increase seats in regions where it performs well electorally while keeping numbers lower in areas where it faces losses. He said delimitation should not be carried out with political motives. He stressed that the delimitation exercise must remain fair and free from political considerations. Mann added that the process should be conducted using data from the upcoming national census.
Meanwhile, AAP leader Manish Sisodia reiterated his party’s support for women’s reservation but alleged that the proposed changes were being used to alter the overall seat structure. He claimed the move was not aligned with the country’s demographic realities.
"It has become a trend for (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji that if he could not win from any area, Vidhan Sabha, booth, mohalla, he gets votes cut. Cutting 80 lakh votes, 90 lakh votes, 27 lakh votes, Modi has adopted a new trend,” he said. He alleged that a new system was being created in which Lok Sabha seats were reduced in regions where the BJP struggles electorally and increased in areas where it wins comfortably.
According to Sisodia, such an approach to delimitation was unfair. Earlier in the day, the Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha after intense debate. Opposition parties demanded a division of votes before the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was introduced. The Bill was eventually introduced with 251 members voting in favour and 185 opposing it.
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