Fresh political developments in Maharashtra have sparked speculation that the Sharad Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) could support the Narendra Modi government’s proposed delimitation bill, a move that could mark a major shift in the Opposition’s position on the issue.
According to a report by India Today, Sharad Pawar’s party is likely to back the Centre’s plan for the next delimitation exercise if certain conditions are met. If that happens, it would be a significant departure from the Opposition’s united stand, as several parties had voted together against the bill during the previous session of Parliament.
The development comes shortly after reports emerged that senior leaders from both factions of the NCP had held late-night meetings with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The meetings have once again fuelled speculation that the two factions of the party may eventually come together and could extend support to the BJP-led NDA at the national level in some form.
Supriya Sule sets a condition for support.
Responding to the reports on Wednesday, 15th July, NCP (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule did not directly confirm whether the party would support the legislation. However, she made it clear that the party’s position would depend on the final version of the bill introduced by the government.
“If the government provides for a 50% increase in seats across all states and clearly outlines its implementation, we will support it,” Sule told reporters. Her remarks are in line with the stand the party had taken earlier on the issue and also match assurances given by Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this year.
After the NCP Pawar camp, will DMK and SP back delimitation?
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) July 15, 2026
Supriya Sule says DMK and SP may consider supporting the move if a 50% quota agreement is reached.@mustafashk brings the latest updates.#DelimitationBill #NCP #DMK #SP #SupriyaSule | @SuyeshaSavant pic.twitter.com/wbc2kKpMww
During discussions in Parliament in April, Shah had indicated that the government was open to increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats in every state by 50% so that no state would suffer because of population control measures adopted over the years.
“If the reason to oppose this bill is that there should be a 50% increase, then halt the proceedings for an hour, and I will bring an official amendment to this bill,” Shah had said in the Lok Sabha.
He had further argued, “After a 50% increase, their seats will rise to 195, which will be 23.87% of 816 seats. No one will be at a loss.”
However, the proposed amendment was never included in the final draft of the legislation.
Late-night meetings trigger political speculation
The political discussion gained momentum after reports of meetings involving leaders from both NCP factions and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis surfaced.
When asked about these meetings, Supriya Sule dismissed suggestions of any political significance attached to them. “Jayant Patil went regarding work in his constituency after the suspension of the Zilla Parishad president in Ishwarpur. His meeting was official. As for what happened at Varsha, you will have to ask the Chief Minister,” she said.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha to 850 seats and pave the way for the implementation of women’s reservation.
The earlier version of the bill failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on 17th April. The government is now expected to bring it back during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is scheduled to begin on 20th July.
