As political speculation grows about the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) and its alleged proximity to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule has now been clarifying her party's stance on the Centre's proposed delimitation bill.
Sule said the party is ready to support the legislation if it is revised by the government to ensure a 50 per cent increase in Lok Sabha constituency size in all states to make sure Lok Sabha seats in every state.
Her statement has caught attention because the NCP (SP) had earlier voted against the Constitution Amendment Bill related to the proposed delimitation exercise during the Budget Session of Parliament.
Conditional support for the Bill
Supriya Sule said her party’s position has remained consistent since the beginning.
According to her, the NCP (SP) is not opposed to the idea of delimitation itself. However, it believes that the legislation should include a provision for a uniform 50 per cent increase in parliamentary seats for every state.
She said that if such an amendment is included, the party would support the Centre's proposal.
Sule went on to say that when the bill was first introduced, several Opposition parties had expressed similar concerns and sought modifications before extending their support.
Opposition Parties Raised Similar Demands
The NCP (SP) leader said that parties like Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had also raised objections during parliamentary discussions.
Sule said that most Opposition parties argued that any future delimitation exercise should be carried out in a manner that maintains fair representation for all states and not only benefits some parts of the country or regions.
The issue of delimitation has become politically sensitive as several southern states have expressed concerns that population-based redistribution of Lok Sabha seats could reduce their relative representation despite successful population control measures.
Rejects reports of growing BJP proximity
Supriya Sule also dismissed claims that her party is moving closer to the BJP following recent political meetings in Maharashtra.
Speculation came to a head after the NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, after which he was reported to have discussed possible political realignment.
Rejecting these reports, Sule said political meetings should not automatically be interpreted as alliance negotiations.
She mentioned her meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during a Parliamentary Committee meeting in Lucknow as an example.
Sule argues that political leaders from different parties are part of democratic functioning and do not necessarily indicate plans for an alliance.
She stressed that if the NCP (SP) genuinely wanted to join hands with the BJP, these discussions would not be held openly in public view.
Political Significance
Sule’s remarks come at a time when Maharashtra’s political landscape is in a state of intense speculation about changing alliances.
Although the NCP (SP) has refused any immediate action to align with the BJP-led NDA, its conditional support of the delimitation bill suggests that the party will back legislation if it feels its concerns are well-served.
Politics over delimitation will remain an important political issue in the months to come, and several regional parties are asking for better representation in Parliament.
In the short run, however, the NCP (SP) has maintained that its support is not on political alliances but on whether the final legislation is in line with its proposed amendments to Lok Sabha constituency expansion.
