Congress on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Modi government over its proposed delimitation exercise linked to the implementation of the women’s reservation law, alleging that it would disproportionately benefit larger and more populous states and terming it a “weapon of mass distraction”.
The party also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “hoodwinking” the public by claiming that southern states would not lose representation, arguing that while the number of seats may increase, the gap between populous states and others would widen significantly.
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the Prime Minister’s assertion that a 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats would not harm southern states was misleading. He pointed out that the current gap between Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, which stands at 60 seats, would increase to 90 under the proposal. Similarly, the difference between Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu would rise from 41 to at least 61.
“Mr. Modi is bulldozing a proposal that will work more to the benefit of larger and populous states since their already large numbers will get further magnified,” Ramesh said. He added that not only southern states, but also Punjab, Haryana and those in the Northeast would see their relative influence decline.
Ramesh further alleged that the government was pushing the move without meaningful consultation or public debate at a time when the country was facing serious economic and foreign policy challenges. He termed the proposal a “Weapon of Mass Distraction”.
Congress MP Manish Tewari echoed similar concerns, stating that the issue should be framed in terms of how much political weight regions such as southern, western, northeastern and northwestern India would lose compared to the Hindi heartland states. He pointed out that Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi together account for just 40 Lok Sabha seats, compared to Uttar Pradesh’s 80.
“This gap will only further increase,” Tewari said, warning that the proposed changes would skew the federal balance to the detriment of non-Hindi heartland states.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the basis of implementing women’s reservation without conducting a fresh census. He asserted that a nationwide census should be completed before taking up the issue of reserving seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies.
Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram termed the proposal to convene Parliament from April 16 to 18 as “mischievous” and said it must be opposed. He pointed out that polling in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal is scheduled later in April, and MPs from these states would be engaged in their constituencies during that period.
He noted that 39 MPs from Tamil Nadu and 28 from West Bengal sit in the opposition benches in the Lok Sabha and questioned how they would be able to participate in discussions and voting on key constitutional amendments if Parliament convenes during those dates. “I suspect that the design is to exclude these MPs,” he alleged.
Chidambaram also opposed the proposed expansion of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats, describing it as “retrograde” and warning that it would widen the difference between more populous states and southern states that have stabilised their population. He argued that reservation of one-third of the seats for women could be achieved within the current strength of the House.
He further cautioned that a Lok Sabha with 816 members would become an unwieldy body, with each member having fewer opportunities to speak. He questioned the urgency of convening Parliament on April 16 and asked why it could not be held later.
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said the issue was not about whether the number of Lok Sabha seats would increase, but about how they would increase and who would benefit disproportionately. He pointed out that while every state may see an increase, the rate and scale clearly favour BJP-ruled states.
He cited that Uttar Pradesh is expected to go from 80 to 120 seats, Maharashtra from 48 to 72, Bihar from 40 to 60, Madhya Pradesh from 29 to around 43-44, Rajasthan from 25 to around 37-38, and Gujarat from 26 to 39.
In contrast, southern states would see comparatively smaller gains. Karnataka is expected to rise from 28 to 42 seats, Tamil Nadu from 39 to around 58-59, Andhra Pradesh from 25 to around 37-38, Telangana from 17 to around 25-26, and Kerala from 20 to 30.
“The numbers are telling. Five southern states together gain barely 63–66 additional seats, while just these seven BJP-dominated states gain about 128–131 seats—nearly double,” Siddaramaiah said.
The remarks by opposition leaders came a day after Prime Minister Modi said the Budget session of Parliament had been extended for three days to facilitate implementation of the 33% women’s reservation law from 2029. The session will reconvene from April 16 to 18 to consider bills, including one to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816.
Addressing an NDA rally in Kerala, Modi assured that no state would see a reduction in its Lok Sabha seats under the proposed changes, even as the overall strength is increased.
