NCP MP signals conditional support for delimitation bill

A key faction of the opposition has signaled conditional support for a major government legislative proposal, even as its leadership firmly denies any political realignment with the ruling coalition. On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule indicated her party could back the proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which combines women's reservation with a delimitation exercise, provided the government commits to a uniform 50 percent increase in parliamentary seats for all states.

Sule's remarks came during a press conference where she sought to quash widespread speculation that her party was preparing to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). She asserted the NCP (SP) remains firmly within the opposition INDIA bloc, calling recent reports "source-driven" and aimed at maligning the party. Her statement followed allegations by senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram that the BJP was actively trying to secure support from the NCP (SP) and the DMK for the bill.

The legislative proposal, expected to be reintroduced when Parliament's Monsoon Session begins on July 20, seeks to operationalize women's reservation without...