NCP (SP) will back delimitation bill if all states get 50% seat increase: Supriya Sule

A potential shift in support for a controversial delimitation bill has emerged, with Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule indicating her party's conditional backing. Sule stated that the NCP (SP) would consider supporting the proposed legislation if it guarantees a uniform 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats across all states.

This development fuels speculation that the government may re-introduce the bill, which previously failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. The bill's potential revival also coincides with rumors of the NCP (SP) inching closer to the ruling National Democratic Alliance, following a meeting between senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

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The new delimitation bill has not yet been introduced. If it includes a provision ensuring a 50% increase in seats for all states, we will discuss it within the INDIA bloc. If it serves the interests of the people, we will consider supporting it.

Sule clarified that the new delimitation bill has not yet been introduced. If it includes the provision for a 50% seat increase for all states, her party would discuss it within the INDIA bloc and consider supporting it if it serves the public interest. Sources suggest the government might revise the bill to incorporate this reference, provided it has sufficient numbers for passage.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty First Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, which are linked to redrawing boundaries based on the 2011 census and implementing 33% quotas for women, were introduced in the previous session. The constitution amendment bill was defeated, with the NCP (SP) voting against it at the time. The opposition had remained unconvinced by verbal assurances of a uniform 50% rise in seats, demanding it be included in the bill's text.

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When the bill was earlier introduced we had assured all parties that all the states, including the southern ones, will benefit from the 50% increase in the seats.