New Delhi: BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain has hit back at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over the ongoing debate on delimitation and Lok Sabha seat allocation.
Hussain said delimitation is necessary and should receive support from all political parties. He also accused the Opposition of creating hurdles in the process.
“There’s a need for delimitation, everyone should support it but they are not,” Hussain said.
According to the BJP leader, the Opposition’s approach is linked to the implementation of women’s reservation.
“Their aim is to stop women’s reservation and so, they are putting obstacles in delimitation as well,” he added.
Kharge seeks 25-year freeze on Lok Sabha seats
Hussain’s remarks came after Mallikarjun Kharge urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to maintain the existing strength of the Lok Sabha at 543 seats for another 25 years.
In a letter to Modi, Kharge also sought an all-party meeting on the government’s delimitation proposals. He asked the Centre to give political parties and state governments enough time to examine the proposals.
Kharge further called for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha from the 2029 general elections.
The Congress has argued that the present state-wise allocation of Lok Sabha seats should also remain unchanged during the proposed freeze.
Why delimitation has become a political flashpoint
Delimitation involves redrawing the boundaries of electoral constituencies. It can also change the number and distribution of parliamentary seats among states.
The issue has become particularly sensitive in southern India. Several political parties have raised concerns over representation and the impact of population-based seat redistribution.
The Centre, however, has maintained that southern states will not be disadvantaged. In April, the government said its proposed framework would increase the number of seats held by southern states while broadly maintaining their share of total representation.
The government had introduced the Delimitation Bill, 2026, along with constitutional amendments linked to women’s reservation in April. The proposals sought to enable delimitation and facilitate the implementation of 33% reservation for women.
Women’s reservation at the centre of the debate
The 106th Constitutional Amendment, passed in 2023, provides for one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Its implementation is linked to delimitation following a census. The current legal framework has therefore made delimitation a key part of the timeline for women’s reservation.
The government has sought to advance the process so that women’s reservation could take effect from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Opposition parties have questioned the proposed mechanism and timing.
Political battle likely to continue
The latest exchange shows that delimitation has become more than a question of constituency boundaries.
It is now tied to representation, federal concerns and women’s political participation.
The BJP says the exercise is necessary for fair representation in a much larger population. The Congress and other Opposition parties want wider consultation before any change is made.
With the 2029 Lok Sabha elections approaching, the debate is expected to remain politically significant.