Sharad Pawar's MPs meet PM Modi amid buzz over delimitation bill support
A delegation of MPs from Sharad Pawar’s NCP, led by senior leader Supriya Sule, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Monday amid
A delegation of MPs from Sharad Pawar’s NCP, led by senior leader Supriya Sule, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Monday amid speculation that the INDIA bloc ally could support the government on the proposed Delimitation Bill in Parliament. According to sources, the meeting lasted around half an hour. The MPs raised concerns over drought conditions and irrigation-related issues in Maharashtra, besides taking up constituency-specific matters. Read Full Story The delegation also demanded that Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Savitribai Phule, Shahir Anna Bhau Sathe and Tukdoji Maharaj be awarded the Bharat Ratna. They also sought the naming of Navi Mumbai Airport after former Maharashtra minister D Y Patil, sources said.
The MPs submitted a written memorandum to the Prime Minister listing their demands and concerns and described the meeting as positive. Modi told the delegation that the issues raised required attention and assured them of concrete action, sources said. However, the proposed Delimitation Bill and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill were not discussed during the meeting. The MPs have said they will oppose the FCRA Bill. Ahead of the meeting, Sule had said the MPs sought an appointment with the Prime Minister as they were not receiving funds for assistance in Maharashtra. The meeting assumes political significance amid speculation over the NCP (SP)'s position on the proposed Delimitation Bill.
Sources had earlier indicated that the Sharad Pawar-led faction could support the government's proposed delimitation exercise, potentially marking a departure from the Opposition's earlier stand. Sule, however, has maintained that the party's position would depend on the final shape of the legislation. Sule had previously said the NCP (SP) would discuss the Bill within the INDIA bloc once it is introduced in Parliament. "As for the Delimitation Bill, it hasn't been tabled yet, so what can be said about it? When the Bill comes, it will be discussed within the All India Alliance," she had said. She had also said the NCP (SP) would support the Bill if it provided for a 50 per cent increase in Lok Sabha seats across all states and clearly specified how the expansion would be implemented.
The meeting also comes amid renewed speculation about a possible rapprochement between the two NCP factions, following reports of meetings between leaders of both factions and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Sule, however, has made it clear that the NCP (SP) opposes the current draft of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, which is likely to tighten government regulation of NGOs and other organisations receiving foreign donations. Ends
The BriefWire