MNS chief Raj Thackeray opposes delimitation exercise, warns of 'political imbalance'

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNS chief Raj Thackeray has criticised the proposed delimitation exercise and warned of regional political imbalanceRaj Thackeray on Friday issued an official statement on Centres constitutional amendments related to Womenrsquos Reservation Act alleging that it could alter Indiarsquos political balance and reduce representation of several statesIn a detailed statement Raj Thackeray said that the Centre is using the Delimitation and Womenrsquos Reservation proposals to consolidate political power He questioned the timing of the changes and alleged that they were aimed at reshaping the electoral map in favour of ruling interestsHe stated that MNS supports womenrsquos reservation but opposed what he described as the broader political use of the legislationConcerns over delimitationIn the statement posted on X Raj Thackeray opposed the idea of redrawing Lok Sabha constituencies based on population was not convencing He argued that states which have controlled population growth could be penalised while states with higher population growth may gain more parliamentary representationHe said this would lead to an ldquounfair advantagerdquo in the Lok Sabha and distort the federal structure of the countryThe MNS leader warned that states such as Maharashtra along with southern eastern and northeastern regions could lose representation if delimitation is carried out in the proposed manner__ Delimitation__ pictwittercomeU7elz4VSWmdash Raj Thackeray RajThackeray April 17 2026He claimed that such a move could increase regional imbalance and weaken the voice of several states in ParliamentConcerns over federal structureRaj Thackeray said that Indiarsquos federal structure must be respected and accused the Centre of ignoring differences in culture language and development across statesHe also raised concerns that economic and taxrelated disparities between states could worsen if political representation is reduced for some regionsThe MNS chief highlighted migration trends claiming that people from northern states are increasingly moving to western and southern states for jobs which he said could influence local politics and voter dynamics in those regionsHe also warned against what he described as attempts at cultural homogenisationCall for balanced delimitation formulaThackeray suggested that if parliamentary seats are increased existing state quotas should not be disturbed He proposed that states should be guaranteed a minimum level of representation with additional seats distributed fairly based on populationHe warned that any imbalance in representation could lead to longterm instability and public resentment across regions He also said the issue should not be treated as a mere numbers exercise as it could affect national unityOppositionRaj Thackeray also criticised the government alleging that recent political strategies could deepen regional divisions He urged all states with distinct cultural identities to resist any unfair changes to representationReiterating the partyrsquos position he said MNS supports womenrsquos reservation but opposes delimitation in its current form He also warned of strong protests if the proposals are implemented without addressing regional concerns