Ranchi: The Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha has strongly opposed three key bills introduced by the Centre during the special budget session from April 16 to 18, stating that the proposed measures could significantly impact the country’s democratic framework and electoral balance.
The bills relate to delimitation, women’s reservation and the proposed increase in the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. The Mahasabha alleged that introducing such crucial legislation without wider public consultation or discussions with political parties reflects a lack of transparency and raises serious concerns over the government’s intent.
While the government has projected the move as a step towards implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies, the Mahasabha claimed that the actual objective may be different.
According to the proposal, the strength of the Lok Sabha is likely to increase from 543 to 816 members, while the total number of Assembly seats across states may rise from 4,123 to 6,186. The exercise is proposed to be based on the 2011 Census. The Mahasabha argued that such changes could reduce the proportional representation of southern states while increasing the share of states where the BJPhas a stronger presence.
Raising concerns over the delimitation bill, the Mahasabha said the proposed framework would allow delimitation to be carried out at any time using any census as a basis through constitutional amendments. The proposed Delimitation Commission is expected to comprise a former Supreme Court judge, the Chief Election Commissioner or a nominee, and a representative of the concerned State Election Commission. It also pointed out that the bill may restrict judicial review of the Commission’s decisions.
The Mahasabha noted that, apart from provisions related to reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the Constitution does not clearly define criteria for delimitation. It added that Election Commission guidelines are not constitutionally binding, which could leave room for arbitrary redrawing of constituencies.
Referring to the 2023 delimitation exercises in Jammu & Kashmir and Assam, the Mahasabha alleged that constituency boundaries were altered without maintaining geographical continuity and that polling units were reorganised in a manner that could influence electoral outcomes. It claimed that in Assam, the number of Assembly constituencies with significant Muslim representation was reduced from 35 to 20.
The Mahasabha said the proposed laws could have far-reaching consequences for India’s electoral democracy and affect every voter. However, it expressed concern that detailed information about the bills has not been made available to the public in a transparent manner, with most details emerging through media reports citing sources.
Demanding that all three bills be withdrawn, the Mahasabha urged the public and opposition parties to oppose the proposals from the streets to Parliament. It also called on the government to implement 33 per cent women’s reservation within the existing number of seats and to hold wider consultations before proceeding with delimitation or seat expansion.
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