Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah  called for a unified opposition response to the Centre’s proposed parliamentary delimitation bill, warning that individual party actions would prove ineffective against what he described as a BJP-orchestrated advantage.

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Abdullah emphasized the need for collective decision-making within the INDIA bloc. “The INDIA bloc will have to decide together what will be the response to this bill and what will be their role in Parliament,” he said. He confirmed his attendance at a key opposition meeting at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi, where leaders are expected to craft a joint strategy.

Abdullah voiced strong reservations about past delimitation exercises, alleging they were manipulated to favor the BJP and its allies. “The distribution of seats, the way constituencies were made, the way maps were drawn, and the way voters were shifted – the purpose was only that somehow the BJP and its allies should benefit,” he charged.

The proposed bill aims to increase Lok Sabha seats and introduce provisions for women’s representation, potentially reshaping India’s parliamentary composition. Abdullah stressed that the opposition must scrutinize these changes together to counter any partisan gains.

His remarks come amid ongoing debates over delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir, following the 2022 assembly seat exercise that boosted representation in Jammu while freezing the overall Lok Sabha tally at 543 until after 2026. Political observers note the timing aligns with national discussions on census-linked redistricting post the upcoming population count.

The INDIA bloc’s coordinated stance could influence parliamentary proceedings, especially as the bill navigates potential constitutional hurdles.