All-party meet favours delinking delimitation from Women's Bill

New Delhi, Oct 13 (UNI) An all-party meeting on delimitation exercise today voiced agreement over delinking of the work from the Women's Reservation Bill while favouring continuation of the process already completed in 12 states.

''The political parties were of the opinion that the current exercise should continue,'' CPI (M) polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury told reporters after the meeting chaired by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Any proposal to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to accommodate more women MPs would face hurdles with the parties making it clear that the delimitation process should not be linked with introduction of the Women's Bill in Parliament in the winter session.

''We are against any increase in the number of seats,'' Mr Yechury said voicing the opinion of his party and that of others.

The Trinamool Congress, however, said there was no consensus on the delimitation work.

Mr Yechury sought to make light of the Trinamool dissent saying redrawing of constituencies is always a contentious issue. ''Problems are inevitable in such an exercise,'' he said.

While the work has been completed in 12 states, it is expected to be over soon in six more. The exercise could be over by 2008 in the whole country.

The meeting was attended by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and CPI (M) parliamentary leader in the Lok Sabha Basudeb Achariya.

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