Cong criticises PM over expansion plan of LS seats

In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposal to expand the number of Lok Sabha seats, the Congress launched a sharp attack on him on Sunday, calling it a "Weapon of Mass Distraction (WMD)" and claiming that the move disproportionately advantages larger and more populated states.

Additionally, the opposition party charged that the Prime Minister had misled the people about the proposal's ramifications and had "bulldozed" it without sufficient consultation.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, posted on X, “The PM is upto his usual tricks of making misleading statements that are meant to deceive. He says South Indian states will not be hurt in any way if the strength of the Lok Sabha is increased by 50% and the number of seats of each state in the Lok Sabha is also increased by 50%,.”

“This is hoodwinking the people of the country in which the PM has unique expertise,” Ramesh said, TNIE reported.

Giving examples, he stated that the gap in representation between states would widen significantly. “For example, the difference between UP's and Kerala's seats in the Lok Sabha is now 60 and Modi's proposal will increase it to 90,” he said.

“Similarly, the difference between UP and Tamil Nadu will increase from 41 to at least 61,” he added.

He further said, “Mr Modi is bulldozing a proposal that will work more to the benefit of larger and populous states since their already large numbers will get further magnified.”

Additionally, Ramesh predicted a decrease in the relative influence of states like Punjab, Haryana, and those in the Northeast.

“The nation is facing a serious economic and foreign policy crisis. All that the PM is bothered about is pushing through an increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas without meaningful consultations and widespread public debate. This is nothing but a Weapon of Mass Distraction (WMD),” he

The remarks were made amid a political controversy over the government’s proposal to expand the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats to facilitate the implementation of the women’s reservation law before the 2029 general elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier stated that the Budget session of Parliament had been extended by three days in order to enable the rollout of the 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had also indicated that a significant piece of legislation would be introduced soon, after which it was announced that Parliament would reconvene on April 16 for a special three-day session.

While addressing an NDA rally in Kerala, Modi reportedly assured that no state—including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, and Telangana—would lose Lok Sabha seats as a result of the exercise.

He further explained that the women’s reservation law, enacted in 2023 as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, would require additional legal measures before it could be implemented alongside delimitation.

The government is expected to introduce amendments during the special session to operationalise quota ahead of the delimitation process. Modi also called on all political parties to support the initiative, describing it as a matter of women’s empowerment that should rise above political differences. He added that Congress leaders had been invited for discussions and expressed hope for their cooperation.

However, the Congress party has alleged that the move is politically motivated and intended to secure electoral gains ahead of upcoming state elections, including those in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The party has characterised timing as a violation of the model code of conduct.

Congress leaders have also cautioned that a rushed delimitation process could lead to serious consequences by disrupting the current balance of regional representation.

Jairam Ramesh was reported as saying that the party did not want any changes to the existing distribution of representation and accused the government of delaying the implementation of the women’s quota law, only to now seek political advantage by claiming credit during the election period.