Ramdas Athawale urges Stalin to support delimitation bill, says it will empower women

Chennai, April 15 (IANS) Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday appealed to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to support the Delimitation Bill, asserting that it is aimed at empowering women and is not against any particular region.

His remarks came after Stalin warned of a massive protest that could “bring the state to a standstill” if the Centre’s proposal resulted in reduced political representation for southern states while increasing that of northern states.

Speaking to IANS, Athawale said, “My party’s stand is clear, we support the Bill. I represent the Republican Party of India and am a part of the NDA. The Government of India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wants to extend greater support to women. Therefore, around 273 seats are expected to be reserved for women. At present, there are 543 seats in Parliament, and if the Bill is passed, a significant portion of the increased seats will be allocated to women.”

He further clarified that the proposed expansion of Lok Sabha seats is not intended to disadvantage southern states.

“The number of seats will increase, and if the Lok Sabha strength rises to around 850 or 860, constituencies will become smaller, ensuring better representation. This is not a move against Tamil Nadu or the people of South India,” he said.

Athawale also made a personal appeal to Stalin, referencing past political associations.

“I would like to remind Stalin that his party was once part of the NDA during the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. I urge him to support this Bill, as it is designed to benefit women across the country,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Centre has proposed increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats to around 850 as part of its plan to implement the Women’s Reservation Act, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, ahead of the 2029 general elections. Of the proposed seats, about 815 would be allocated to states and 35 to Union Territories.

Currently, the Lok Sabha has 543 seats. The government is expected to introduce a constitutional amendment Bill during a special session of Parliament scheduled from April 16 to 18 to enable 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju addressed concerns raised by southern states, stating on social media that misinformation was being spread.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju wrote on X: “Some people are trying to mislead the South Indian States on Women Reservation by providing wrong Delimitation figures. There should be no politics in giving reservations to Women in Lok Sabha & Legislative Assemblies. All political parties are united for Nari Shakti."

Southern states have expressed apprehension that population-based delimitation could reduce their representation in Parliament. Leaders from these states argue that they are being penalised for successfully implementing population control and family planning policies, while states with higher population growth may gain more seats.