Jairam Ramesh accuses PM of “misleading” nation over Lok Sabha expansion proposal

New Delhi, April 5 (UNI) ‎Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of attempting to “deceive” the public with claims surrounding a proposed increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha.
‎In a strongly worded statement, Ramesh alleged that the Prime Minister was “up to his usual tricks of making misleading statements that are meant to deceive,” referring to Modi’s assertion that a 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats would not disadvantage South Indian states.
‎“He says South Indian states will not be hurt in any way if the strength of the Lok Sabha is increased by 50% and the number of seats of each state is also increased by 50%,” Ramesh said, adding, “This is hoodwinking the people of the country in which the PM has unique expertise.”
‎Ramesh argued that while the proposal appears mathematically uniform, its political consequences would disproportionately favour larger and more populous states. Citing examples, he said the current gap of 60 seats between Uttar Pradesh and Kerala would widen to 90 under the proposed expansion. Similarly, the difference between Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu would rise from 41 seats to at least 61.
‎“Such examples can be multiplied,” he said, warning that the move would amplify existing imbalances in representation. “Mr. Modi is bulldozing a proposal that will work more to the benefit of larger and populous states since their already large numbers will get further magnified.”
‎The Congress leader further cautioned that the impact would not be limited to southern states. “It is not just South India but states like Punjab and Haryana and those in the North East that will also see their relative influence decline,” he noted.
‎The debate over delimitation and the expansion of legislative bodies has been a sensitive political issue, particularly given India’s demographic variations across regions. Southern states have historically expressed concerns that population-based seat redistribution could penalise them for successfully implementing population control measures, while northern states with higher population growth stand to gain greater representation.
‎Ramesh also criticised the timing of the proposal, linking it to broader national challenges. “The nation is facing a serious economic and foreign policy crisis. All that the PM is bothered about is pushing through an increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas without meaningful consultations and widespread public debate,” he said.
‎Describing the move in stark terms, Ramesh concluded, “This is nothing but a Weapon of Mass Distraction (WMD).”
‎The issue is expected to intensify political debate in the coming weeks as discussions around delimitation and electoral representation gather momentum.
UNI