New Delhi [India], April 16 : Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has said that reservation for women should be implemented within the existing strength of the Lok Sabha.
He said if the government does not do this, its intent is not women's reservation but delimitation.
He said delimitation based on the 2011 census will make states such as Tamil Nadu lose out.
"The time has come for women's reservations... We should reserve one-third of the seats, within this House of 543, but we must preserve the number of 543," he said.
"Bringing women will improve the quality of our governance, but we should preserve the strength of the House... Otherwise, the intent is not to bring in women's reservation, but delimitation and bringing delimitation based on the 2011 will make many states lose out, including Tamil Nadu... Because the number there will rise to only 51 from 39, but in UP, it will go from 80 to 143," he added.
Seeking to allay apprehension of opposition parties over the delimitation of constituencies and the "proportionate increase" in strength of Lok Sabha to implement the Women's Reservation Act from 2029 polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said "whether it is the South, the North, the East, the West, small states or large states, the decision-making process will not do injustice to anyone" and there will be no change in proportion in the proposed increase in seats in the lower House of Parliament.
Participating in the debate on the Constitution Amendment Bill for early implementation of the Women's Reservation Act in the Lok Sabha, PM Modi said he can give a guarantee or a promise about his remarks if the opposition wants, as the government's intention is clear.
"I want to say from this House today with a great sense of responsibility that whether it is the South, the North, the East, the West, small states or large states... this decision-making process will not discriminate against or do injustice to anyone. In the past government that was in power, in whose time the delimitation took place, there will be no change in that proportion either, and the increase will also be in the same proportion," he said.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and The Delimitation Bill, 2026 were introduced and taken up for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day. The government intends to raise the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 from 543.