Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule on Wednesday sought to clear the air over speculation surrounding her party’s stand on the proposed Delimitation Bill, stressing that no official position has been taken yet as the legislation has not been introduced in Parliament.
Addressing reporters, Sule said discussions based on media reports were premature and urged people to wait for the final draft of the Bill before drawing conclusions.
Party Waiting for Final Draft
“We cannot say anything until the new Bill is introduced. We have passed the Women’s Reservation Bill with a full majority,” Sule said, adding that her party would study the final provisions before deciding whether to support it.
She revealed that during an all-party meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, a proposal was discussed to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats in every state by 50 per cent. According to her, if such a formula is included in the Bill, the NCP (SP) would be open to supporting it.
Sule pointed out that Maharashtra’s representation in the Lok Sabha could increase from the present 48 seats to 72 under the proposed formula.
Concerns Over Population-Based Delimitation
The Baramati MP cautioned that a delimitation exercise based solely on population could disadvantage several southern states that have successfully implemented population control measures over the years.
She said the proposal discussed by Union ministers Amit Shah and Kiren Rijiju was aimed at ensuring a more balanced approach so that no state suffers a reduction in political representation.
Rejects Reports of Joining NDA
Sule also dismissed reports suggesting that the Sharad Pawar-led NCP was moving closer to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), calling such claims baseless.
“We were merged first into the Congress and then into the BJP; now, only the MNS remains. None of our leaders have ever spoken about joining the NDA, and we will not join the NDA,” she said.
Reiterating the party’s unity, Sule added that all eight NCP (SP) Members of Parliament and the party’s MLAs remain firmly behind Sharad Pawar’s leadership.
Meeting Sparks Political Speculation
Political speculation intensified after leaders from both the Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar factions were seen separately at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ official residence in Mumbai.
However, senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil clarified that his visit was related to a local civic matter concerning the disqualification case of the Municipal Council President from his Islampur constituency. He said he neither participated in nor had any knowledge of the discussions held between Chief Minister Fadnavis, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare.
With the Monsoon Session approaching, all eyes are now on the Centre’s final draft of the Delimitation Bill, which is expected to determine the political positions of several opposition parties, including the Sharad Pawar-led NCP.
Q1. What did Supriya Sule say about the Delimitation Bill?
She said NCP (SP) will decide its stand only after the Bill is introduced in Parliament and the final draft is available.
Q2. Under what condition may NCP-SP support the Bill?
According to Supriya Sule, the party could support the proposal if it provides a 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats for every state.
Q3. Why did Supriya Sule raise concerns about delimitation?
She said a population-based delimitation exercise could unfairly affect southern states that have successfully controlled population growth.
Q4. Did Supriya Sule deny reports of NCP-SP joining the NDA?
Yes. She categorically said the party has no plans to join the NDA and termed the merger rumours baseless.
Q5. Why did Jayant Patil meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis?
Jayant Patil said his meeting was regarding a civic issue in his Islampur constituency and was unrelated to any political discussions.
