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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prakash Reddy said there is "no justification in opposing the delimitation exercise" while criticising the INDIA bloc for what he called a contradictory stand on constitutional and legislative matters.
Speaking to ANI, Reddy said, "INDI alliance finally said that they will support the women reservation bill but they will not support the delimitation bill." Reddy referred to past delimitation exercises in the country and said, "Earlier in 1971, the Congress party itself completed the delimitation bill, they passed the bill and reorganized the constituencies." He added, "Even during 2009 reorganization, though it started in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee period, the final reorganization and delimitation process was completed by the Manmohan Singh government." He said multiple governments have carried out delimitation based on constitutional requirements. "You did the delimitation as per your interest, as per your political advantage," he said. Reddy stated that the current exercise follows a similar constitutional framework, adding, "Now it is the time for the BJP." He also said the opposition should not politicise the issue and warned them of public scrutiny. "People are observing your activity, people are monitoring your activity and the time comes when people take their decision," he said. Three important bills are likely to be introduced in the special session of Parliament starting today, including one to reserve seats for women in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and another to redraw constituency boundaries. The opposition has raised concerns about the reasons for changing these boundaries and increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to a maximum of 850. The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, are slated to be introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, while the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will be introduced by Home Minister Amit Shah. The government has convened a special sitting of Parliament on April 16, 17, and 18 to pass the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The government has been seeking opposition support to implement the women's reservation bill since the 2029 Lok Sabha elections based on the 2011 Census. (ANI)
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