‘Dangerous’ To ‘Death Warrant’: What Mamata, KTR And Others Said On Delimitation Bill

Last Updated:April 15, 2026, 10:29 IST

Bill to raise Lok Sabha seats to 850 and implement 33 per cent women quota sparks row. Political Leaders call delimitation a threat to federalism.

A new Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 has triggered a sharp political debate over women’s reservation and delimitation. The bill proposes early implementation of a 33 per cent quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. It also suggests increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha to 850 seats, 815 for states and the rest for Union Territories, from the current 543.

At the same time, there is no change proposed in the upper limit of 500 constituencies in Assemblies. The bill states that reservation will be implemented after a delimitation exercise based on the “latest published census", allowing the government to use Census 2011 as the basis. It also removes the earlier provision that required delimitation after every Census, instead giving Parliament the power to decide its timing through law.

Chidambaram raises alarm

Congress leader P Chidambaram strongly opposed the move, calling it dangerous for federal balance. He said that while the number of Lok Sabha seats may appear to rise for states like Tamil Nadu, the actual outcome after delimitation would be different.

According to him, Tamil Nadu’s seats may initially go up from 39 to 58 but could drop to 46 after delimitation. In contrast, Uttar Pradesh’s representation could rise from 80 to around 140. He warned that southern states, which currently hold 24.3 per cent representation, may see it fall to 20.7 per cent. He described the move as a “mischievous" attempt to alter the federal structure and said it must be opposed.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee too flags concerns

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also criticised the proposal. Speaking at a rally, she alleged that the BJP was planning to bring a delimitation bill that could divide West Bengal. She further claimed that such steps could be linked with the introduction of NRC.

K Annamalai defends the bill

BJP leader K Annamalai hit back at criticism from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. He said it was unfortunate that such strong language was being used against the Prime Minister.

Annamalai pointed out that the women’s reservation bill had been pending since 1996 and was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but not cleared in the Lok Sabha until recently. He said the current government made efforts to build consensus, leading to its unanimous passage in 2023. He also stressed that the government had not said the increase in seats would be population-based.

John Brittas calls it threat to federalism

CPIM MP John Brittas described the bill as a “death warrant" for federal India. He argued that the linked delimitation exercise would weaken southern states that have successfully controlled population growth.

He said the government had not agreed to detailed consultations before bringing the amendments. He also questioned claims that seat increases would be proportional, noting that the draft bill does not guarantee this.

Brittas warned that using Census 2011 for delimitation could sharply increase seats in northern states while reducing or stagnating representation in the south. Even if seats are increased proportionally, he said, the overall numbers would still disturb the balance of power, as absolute strength matters more in politics.

K T Rama Rao warns of southern backlash

BRS Working President K T Rama Rao issued a strong warning to the Centre over delimitation. He said that if the process leads to reduced representation for southern states, it could trigger a large public movement across South India.

He said the party’s stand has remained unchanged for the past three years and stressed that southern states should not be politically disadvantaged despite progress in population control and development.

KTR said reducing representation of better-performing states would go against democratic principles. He added that they are proud Indians representing states that contribute significantly to national growth.

He warned that any move to weaken the voice of southern states in Parliament would be strongly opposed. He said they would fight firmly to protect their rights and representation, and urged the Centre to understand ground realities and act with wisdom.

Pratibha Patil backs Bill

Meanwhile, former President Pratibha Patil has come out in support of Women Reservation Bill. According to her the presence of women in Parliament and state legislatures will “enrich legislative debates" with “diverse perspectives."

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