Supriya Sule Delimitation Bill: Seeks 50% Written Assurance

By Aditya Nagar | July 16, 2026

Supriya Sule Delimitation Bill: A renewed effort by the Union government to pass a constitution amendment bill focusing on women's reservation and delimitation has gained momentum on Wednesday after Supriya Sule, a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), stated her party would consider supporting the proposed legislation if it ensured a uniform 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats across all states.

This development comes amid speculation that the government plans to reintroduce the bill, which previously failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha.

There is also talk that the NCP (SP), a key member of Maharashtra’s opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), is moving closer to the ruling National Democratic Alliance.

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Supriya Sule Delimitation Bill: NCP-BJP Meeting Sparks Speculation as Sule Speaks on Delimitation Bill

On Tuesday night, senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil met with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with other NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, which fueled rumours that efforts to bring the two parties together are gaining momentum.

Speaking in Mumbai, Supriya Sule said the new Delimitation Bill had not yet been introduced.

Supriya Sule on the demand for a 50% seat increase: She stated that if the bill included a provision to ensure a 50% seat increase for all states, the INDIA bloc would discuss it.

She added that the alliance would consider supporting the bill if it benefited the people.

A person with knowledge of the situation said there is a possibility the government may revise the proposed bill to include a reference to a 50% proportional increase in seats for each state.

According to this person, the Union government was eager to introduce the bill if it had the necessary numbers.

Constitution Amendment Bill Falls Short in Lok Sabha; NCP (SP) Opposed It

Supriya Sule Delimitation Bill: The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill were introduced in the Lok Sabha during the previous session.

The Delimitation Bill aims to redraw electoral boundaries based on the 2011 Census and is necessary for implementing the 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures.

However, the Constitution amendment bill failed to reach the two-thirds majority mark in the Lower House, being defeated 298 to 230.

At that time, the NCP (SP) had voted against the bill.

Lok Sabha Seat Increase: Delimitation Deadlock Continues Despite Govt's Push for 850-Seat Lok Sabha

The government's legislative effort involves raising the cap on Lok Sabha seats from 550 to 850, with the allocation of seats to states, reserved constituencies, and their boundaries defined by a delimitation commission based on the latest census, which would be the 2011 census in this case.

The Opposition remained wary, pointing out that the government's assurance of a uniform 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats for every state was only verbal and not reflected in the bills' text.

In his speech at the time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah sought to shift the situation by offering to introduce an official amendment proposing a 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats in exchange for support for the women’s reservation bill.

However, the draft legislation was still defeated.

Delimitation Bill Latest News: Government Official Blames Coalition Politics for DMK's Opposition to Delimitation Proposal

Supriya Sule Delimitation Bill: A government official said that when the bill was first introduced, all political parties were assured that every state, including those in southern India, would benefit from the proposed 50% increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats.

According to the official, several parties, including the DMK in Tamil Nadu, were told that their representation would increase in proportion.

However, the official claimed that coalition pressures, as the DMK was part of the INDIA bloc, ultimately led the party to oppose the proposal.

But the situation has since changed.

INDIA Bloc Hit by Fresh Political Shake-Up as Allies Lose Key Lawmakers

Twenty of the 28 Trinamool Congress lawmakers have joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, indicating their support for the NDA.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, with 22 lawmakers, had a fallout with the Congress and did not attend INDIA bloc meetings.

Recently, six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs switched to the Shiv Sena.

NCP (SP) Delimitation Bill Support: DMK, Samajwadi Party Hold Key to NDA’s Delimitation Bill Push

Delimitation Bill Latest News: The ruling party is also counting on support from non-aligned parties such as the YSR Congress Party and the DMK, as well as from some INDIA members, such as the NCP (SP).

Support from the DMK, which has 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 8 in the Rajya Sabha, and the Samajwadi Party, which has 37 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 10 in the Rajya Sabha, remains crucial.

If all MPs participate in the voting, the NDA will need 360 votes in the Lok Sabha.

Congress’s Rajya Sabha chief whip Jairam Ramesh told HT that the government had not reached out to them.

TMC’s Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien said the government had not communicated with them regarding a new delimitation bill.

SP Says No Talks With BJP Yet, Demands Women’s Reservation Before UP Polls

Supriya Sule Delimitation Bill: SP spokesperson Abbas Haider said the party wants the Women's Reservation law to be implemented before the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

He also said the party would not allow the Narendra Modi government to use delimitation as a tool to weaken the Opposition across the country.

Haider added that the BJP and the government had not spoken to the party about the matter so far.

A DMK lawmaker said the party would not comment on the proposed bill until they heard from the government at an all-party meeting, scheduled for Sunday.

A TDP lawmaker said Shah had stated that the assurance about the increase in the number of seats would be included in the bill.

The speaker said they were confident the government would revise the wording of the bill. They added that the Home Minister had made the assurance on the floor of the House, giving them confidence that the changes would be made before the bill is passed.

In the current 540-member Lok Sabha, the NDA has 293 members and needs 360 votes for the bill to pass, whereas it needs 164 votes in the 245-member Rajya Sabha, where it currently holds 149 members.

Sule Seeks Clear Delimitation Formula, Says NCP Yet to Take Official Stand

Supriya Sule Delimitation Update: In Mumbai, Sule said the party had earlier raised its concerns over the proposed legislation during a meeting with Shah and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.

According to Sule, the Centre had assured opposition parties that their concerns, especially regarding a 50% cap on seat increases, would be addressed in the legislation.

However, she alleged that these assurances were not reflected in the earlier version of the bill.

She stated that the Women's Reservation Bill had received unanimous support.

On the Delimitation Bill, she said it should clearly state that the number of seats in all states would increase by 50% in equal proportion.

She also said there should be a 50% cap to ensure that no state is unjustly treated.

Sule also said the bill must clearly define the proposed formula for delimitation in every constituency.

She, however, clarified that the party had not yet taken an official position.

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