Kohima, April 18 (MExN): The Naga People’s Front (NPF) on Saturday expressed support for reservation of seats for women in legislatures, while raising concerns over recent parliamentary developments related to delimitation and representation.
In a statement, the party said it supports women’s reservation in State Assemblies and Parliament, provided it is implemented in a “fair, just and equitable manner”. It also highlighted that the only two women MLAs in the present Nagaland Legislative Assembly belong to the NPF.
On delimitation, the party referred to recent proposals indicating a possible increase in Lok Sabha seats from 543 to around 813, linked to broader constitutional and electoral reforms. It said media reports suggest that the redistribution of seats may favour high-population states, while Nagaland and most other northeastern states, except Assam, may not see any significant increase in representation.
The NPF said this raises concerns over regional balance and federal equity, reiterating its long-standing position that Nagaland remains underrepresented in Parliament with only one seat each in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The party also expressed dissatisfaction over what it termed as lack of consultation, stating that despite being a senior NDA partner, it was neither consulted nor informed prior to the introduction of the proposals in Parliament.
It further noted that details of the exercise were largely known through media reports, with no clear assurance on enhanced representation for the state.
The NPF also criticised the silence of the two sitting Members of Parliament from Nagaland on the issue, saying it was their responsibility to raise the state’s concerns at the national level.
Reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the interests of the Naga people, the party said it would continue to press for fair and equitable representation in legislative bodies.
