Bhubaneswar: BJD chief Naveen Patnaik Wednesday urged Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to convene a special session of the Assembly within 48 hours to discuss ways to protect the state’s interest in the delimitation bill.
He, however, welcomed the Women’s Reservation Bill.
Patnaik, in a letter to the chief minister, said, We welcome the Women’s Reservation Bill… However, we will welcome the delimitation bill only if Odisha’s political rights remain intact.
The leader of the opposition said the issue with the delimitation bill is not just about numbers, but it directly affects the spirit of cooperative federalism enshrined in the Constitution.
Any reduction in political rights will undermine the aspirations of Odisha and its people, he mentioned in the letter.
I appeal to you as the chief minister of Odisha to take up this issue strongly. You have the moral and legitimate power to do so. Future generations will not forgive us if we sit quietly while Odisha gets reduced to a politically insignificant state, Patnaik said.
The BJD president said that due to the urgency of the matter, a special session of the assembly should be convened within the next 48 hours to pass a resolution that not even 0.001 per cent of the political rights of Odisha will be allowed to be taken away by other states.
Noting that Odisha is at a crossroads, the five-time chief minister pointed out that the proposed Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, seek to change the composition of Parliament, increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 members.
He noted that currently Odisha has 21 MPs, about 3.9 per cent of the total strength of the Lower House of Parliament.
If the amendment is passed, Odisha’s representation will rise to 29, but its proportion will fall to 3.4 per cent, he noted.
Patnaik said that Odisha, which has been a front-runner in moderating population growth and nurturing human capital, faces a potential 15 per cent loss in political representation nationally.
Our political voice and influence will be taken away to be redistributed to other states. This will be a huge blow to the aspirations of 4.5 crore Odias and will be a grave injustice to our future generations, Patnaik said.
Patnaik, in the letter, said, I appeal to you as an Odia to take up this issue strongly. The BJD will stand with you on this as it affects the fate and future of our beloved state and motherland, Odisha.