"Only if Odisha's political rights remain intact": Naveen Patnaik outlines condition in supporting Delimitation Bill

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], April 15 : Former Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday wrote to CM Mohan Charan Majhi, welcoming the Delimitation Bill and Women's Reservation Bill.

In his letter, Naveen Patnaik said that his party will support the Bill, urging CM Majhi to ensure Odisha's political rights remain intact.

Patnaik emphasised that any reduction in political rights will undermine the aspirations of Odisha and its people.

"We will welcome the Delimitation Bill only if Odisha's political rights remain intact. This is not just an issue of numbers. The bill hits directly at the spirit of cooperative federalism enshrined in the Constitution. Any reduction in political rights will undermine the aspirations of Odisha and its people. I appeal to you as the Chief Minister of Odisha to take up this issue strongly. You have the moral and legitimate power to do so," the BJD Chief wrote.

Further, Patnaik requested the Odisha CM to convene a special Assembly session in the next 48 hours over the delimitation exercise.

"Seeing the urgency of the matter, I request that a special session of the Assembly be convened within the next 48 hours to pass a resolution that not even 0.001% of the political rights of Odisha be allowed to be taken away by other states. I appeal to you as an Odia to take up this issue strongly. BJD will stand with you on this as it affects the fate and future of our beloved State and motherland Odisha," Naveen Patnaik said.

Expressing his support for the Women's Reservation Bill, Naveen Patnaik recalled that former Odisha CM Biju Patnaik was a strong votary of women's empowerment, pioneering reservation in legislative bodies and entrusting power to them.

"The Biju Janata Dal has always championed women's representation, ensuring their presence in Parliament and state assemblies. Odisha implemented 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions, and we actively support national legislation for women's empowerment," the BJD chied wrote.

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women legislators, is linked to the delimitation process in the Lok Sabha. The government is planning to implement the women's reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.

According to sources, the government has proposed to increase the number of seats in the House to 850, with 815 seats proposed for the States and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats at present.

While the seats in the Lok Sabha will witness a 50 per cent increase, the opposition parties have expressed concern as this increase will not be on a pro-rata basis for each state. The INDIA bloc parties claimed that the proposed delimitation shrinks the representation of southern states in the Lok Sabha. The delimitation exercise, under Article 82 of the Constitution, is linked to the population of a constituency.

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