Bhubaneswar, March 23: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Amar Patnaik has called for the central government to engage in comprehensive discussions with all political parties before making any decisions on delimitation. His plea follows the Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting on delimitation, organized by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Amar Patnaik expressed his concerns that population-based delimitation could negatively affect Odisha, potentially reducing both Assembly and Parliamentary seats. He emphasized that if population alone is considered, Odisha could face significant losses. He highlighted the state’s declining decadal growth and success in population control and financial performance, arguing that population should not be the sole factor in delimitation.
The JAC, comprising political leaders from various states, passed a resolution demanding greater transparency from the Union government and an extension of the freeze on Parliamentary constituencies based on the 1971 Census for another 25 years. The JAC also urged the central government to involve all stakeholders in the process.
The meeting was attended by leaders including Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, and Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das. The JAC stressed the importance of protecting states that have successfully implemented population control measures.
