Delimitation row: Rohit Pawar breaks ranks with Supriya Sule, rejects any support for Bill

Signalling another break in the Opposition ranks ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP)’s working president and MP Supriya Sule on Wednesday said her party would consider supporting the Centre’s proposed delimitation Bill if it ensures a 50 per cent increase in the Lok Sabha seats in all states.

Sule’s remarks came amid reports that sections of the NCP(SP)’s MPs and MLAs were increasingly pushing for a tie-up with the ruling BJP-led NDA.

Rohit added that this restructuring will be done solely to maintain power, without regard for geographical boundaries or constitutional frameworks, and the delimitation of constituencies in Assam is a perfect example of this.

“Since 2016, the BJP has already devised a strategy with the help of experienced former officials on how to manipulate constituencies to align their power equations. They are now merely waiting for this bill to be passed,” he claimed.

Pawar added that until it happens, the BJP will play the facade of harmony with the opposition, dangle carrots of various promises, pretend to take the opposition into confidence, and talk about democracy; but once the bill is passed, they will brush aside the opposition as easily as flicking a fly off one’s body, and their authoritarian tendencies will resurface.

“Driven by this mindset, they are making aggressive preparations to attack the Constitution, with Delimitation on one side and SIR on the other. Everyone needs to think carefully about whether to foil this plot or to let it succeed by directly or indirectly supporting the bill,” he said.