‘Discriminatory’: Sukhbir Badal opposes center’s proposed delimitation plan

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Chandigarh, April 15

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday criticized the Center’s proposed population-based delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, saying it is discriminatory towards Punjab and is being pushed under the framework of women’s reservation.

Badal said the party supports women’s reservation but strongly opposes its use as a cover for delimitation changes that, according to him, would impact federal balance in the country.

In a post on X, the former Punjab deputy chief minister said Punjab, with its minority character, would be the biggest loser in the exercise. He added that while Punjab may see only a marginal increase in Lok Sabha seats, Haryana could see its representation nearly double.

He further said that using population as the sole criterion would unfairly penalise Punjab for implementing population control measures, while benefiting states that did not achieve similar outcomes.

Badal also alleged that the proposed exercise could lead to disproportionate representation for several Hindi heartland states and would weaken India’s federal structure. He said his party would initiate an all-party effort in Punjab to oppose the move.

The proposed delimitation exercise is linked to the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act, which seeks to provide a 33 per cent reservation in legislatures. The plan includes increasing the total number of Lok Sabha seats ahead of the 2029 general elections based on the latest census data.