Sanjay Raut calls delimitation contentious, questions move without Census

Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday termed the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies a ldquocontentiousrdquo issue warning that carrying out the exercise without a fresh Census could trigger strong political opposition particularly from southern states reported PTISpeaking to reporters in New Delhi the Rajya Sabha MP clarified that his party does not oppose the implementation of the womenrsquos reservation law but raised serious concerns over the process being linked with delimitation reported PTINo Objection to Womenrsquos ReservationRaut said there is no reason for the Shiv Sena UBT to oppose the proposed implementation of the Womenrsquos Reservation Act which seeks to reserve 33 per cent of seats for women in Parliament and state assembliesHe emphasised that the party has consistently supported womenrsquos political participation noting that Maharashtra was among the first states to provide significant reservation for women in local selfgovernment institutions reported PTIDelimitation Without Census Raises ConcernsHowever Raut strongly objected to the delimitation process being undertaken without conducting a nationwide Census He said such a move could create a ldquoserious situationrdquo across the country and undermine the fairness of representation reported PTIldquoThe issue of delimitation is contentious and is being done without conducting the Censusrdquo he said warning that the absence of updated population data could lead to disputes over seat allocation reported PTISouthern States Likely to Oppose MoveRaut also pointed out that several southern states have already expressed opposition to the proposed exercise He cited leaders such as M K Stalin and Revanth Reddy who have raised concerns about the potential impact of delimitation on their statesrsquo political representation reported PTIAccording to Raut if population becomes the sole criterion for redrawing constituencies states that have successfully controlled population growth may face reduced representation in ParliamentSpecial Parliament Session and Seat Expansion PlanThe Centre has convened a special threeday session of Parliament from April 16 to 18 to discuss amendments related to the implementation of the womenrsquos reservation framework The plan includes a significant expansion of the Lok Sabha increasing the number of seats from 543 to as many as 850The proposed changes are aimed at operationalising the reservation for women ahead of the 2029 general elections Additionally the draft amendment bill provides for an increase in seats in state assemblies and Union Territory legislatures to accommodate the quotaMaharashtra Seat Numbers Set to RiseRaut noted that under the proposal Maharashtrarsquos representation in the Lok Sabha could increase from 48 to 72 seats Similarly the strength of the state legislative assembly may rise from 288 to 400 members reported PTIHowever he raised practical concerns about infrastructure pointing out that the current Vidhan Bhavan may not have the capacity to accommodate such a large number of legislatorsQuestions Over Political IntentThe Shiv Sena UBT leader also questioned whether logistical challenges were being used to justify broader political changes He hinted at concerns that such developments could have wider implications for the statersquos political structure reported PTIWith inputs from PTI