&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Delimitation designed to disenfranchise Tamil Nadu': Rahul Gandhi urges parties to oppose Bill")
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (August 1) strongly opposed the proposed delimitation exercise, accusing the BJP of trying to weaken Tamil Nadu's political influence and deprive its people of political representation.
Addressing reporters, the Congress MP urged all political parties, including regional and national parties, to oppose the proposal and defeat it in Parliament.
"There is an attempt by the BJP to carry out delimitation. Delimitation is designed to disenfranchise people and take away the political power of the people of Tamil Nadu. This is a BJP conspiracy. Anyone who supports delimitation is betraying Tamil Nadu, betraying the future of Tamil Nadu, and allowing the RSS and BJP to attack the people of Tamil Nadu and its future," he told reporters.
Gandhi also invoked the name of Ettappan, a historical figure traditionally regarded in Tamil culture as a symbol of betrayal. He used the reference to describe those who support the proposed delimitation exercise.
"Such a person is a 21st-century "Ettappan". No Tamil person should support delimitation. Every Tamil person should oppose delimitation. Every Tamil party and every national party should defeat delimitation in the House," he said.
His remarks come amid speculation that the Centre could bring back the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill. The proposed legislation seeks to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to up to 850 and implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures.
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The speculation has also gained attention following political mergers and defections ahead of the Monsoon Session. The government has been working to secure enough support to pass constitutional amendment Bills linked to women's reservation and the proposed expansion of Parliament and state legislatures through delimitation.
The government's efforts faced a setback during a special session of the Lok Sabha in April. Since then, 37 MPs from four Opposition parties have moved to the ruling side, marking the largest shift from the Opposition to the Treasury benches since the anti-defection law came into force in 1985.
With three vacancies, the Lok Sabha currently has 540 members, including two MPs who are in jail. The two-thirds mark stands at 360. During the April vote, 528 MPs participated, putting the two-thirds threshold at 352. The government secured 298 votes, while the Opposition received 230.
The NDA had 293 Lok Sabha MPs at the time. Following splits in the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), its strength has increased to 319. If the NCP (SP) supports the Bill, the NDA's tally could rise to 327, leaving it 33 votes short of the two-thirds requirement. The BJP is hoping to bridge the gap through support from other parties and abstentions.
Meanwhile, reports also suggested that the DMK, which is currently at odds with its former ally, Congress, has softened its position on the proposed Bill on the condition that southern states are not adversely affected by the delimitation exercise.
