Nirmala Sitharaman Addresses Concerns Over Delimitation Process in West Bengal

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized that the Delimitation Commission will engage with all political parties to address the concerns raised by the India bloc regarding the delimitation process. She criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement suggesting that delimitation would lead to the division of the state. Sitharaman questioned whether Banerjee was opposing women's reservation, implying that it would delay opportunities for women and that she should be more transparent about her stance. 'I challenge her to clarify if she is trying to prevent reservation for women and instill fear among the people of Bengal,' she stated.

 

Sitharaman clarified that the proposal to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850 is merely a maximum limit. She stated that each state will have its own delimitation committee that will consult with all parties before any decisions are made. 'So why the fear? You seem to be afraid of the SIR, the Election Commission, and Parliament, yet you do nothing here. Even with funds available in Delhi, you fail to utilize them. Mamata Banerjee, please share your views on governance,' she urged.

 

On April 12, Mamata Banerjee accused the central government of initiating the delimitation process without consultation during the election period. Speaking at a rally in Keshiyari, she remarked that while elections are ongoing, the delimitation bill is being introduced in Parliament without any debate. She suggested that the motive behind this is to divide Bengal and implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) here. 'Our fight is against Vanish Kumar,' referring to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. 'I reiterate, the BJP will soon be out of power,' she concluded.