"We have not made any changes to Delimitation Commission...": Amit Shah responds to Priyanka Gandhi's remarks

New Delhi [India], April 17 : Amid opposition's strong reservation over Delimitation Bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the Modi government has not made any changes to the formula for composition of Delimitation Commission and the norms are same as during the Congress-led UPA government.

Responding to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's remarks in Lok Sabha about the possibility of BJP putting its own people in the Delimitation Commission, he asked if Congress had done any tampering during its rule.

"There was mention of the Delimitation Commission, saying that you will put your people in the Delimitation Commission and they will do this and that. I want to tell Priyanka Gandhi that we have not made any changes to the Delimitation Commission. We have replicated your Delimitation Commission Act. If you have tampered with it, I can say that we will not do so," 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 on Thursday.

Amit Shah sought to allay apprehensions of opposition members about the Southern states losing their influence as a result of an increase in seats in the Lok Sabha to implement the women's reservation Act, and said that while there will be about a 50 per cent increase in their seats, the relative proportion in total seats will also move up.

"The biggest narrative being created is that these three bills, the Constitution Amendment Bill, the bill on delimitation, and changes to the constituency election law, will harm the power of the South," he said.

"If we listen to the entire narrative created for the South, then out of the 543 seats created by you, 129 MPs currently sit in this House, which is approximately 23.76%. In the new House, 195 MPs will be sitting here, and their power will be 23.97%," he added.

Shah said Karnataka has 28 seats, and 5.15 per cent of the 543 seats in the House and after the passage of the bill, the number of Karnataka MPs will increase from 28 to 42, and the percentage in the Lok Sabha will increase to 5.44.

"Karnataka will not suffer any loss at all. Andhra Pradesh has 25 seats, which is 4.60 per cent. After the passage of the bill, the number of MPs will increase from 25 to 38, which will be 4.65 per cent," he said.

Shah said Telangana has 17 seats, which is 3.13 per cent and after the passage of the bill, the number of MPs will increase from 17 to 26, which will be 3.18 per cent.

"Tamil Nadu has 49 seats, which is 7.18 per cent. After the passage of the bill, the number of MPs will be 59, and their percentage in the new House of 816 will be 7.23 per cent. Tamil Nadu will also suffer no loss. Keralam has 20 seats, which is 3.68 per cent. After the passage of the bill, the number of MPs will be 30, and their percentage in the new House will be 3.67 per cent," he added.

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