Kharge urges PM Modi to maintain Lok Sabha strength at 543 seats

Congress president M Mallikar Kharge has made a fresh appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to retain the current strength of Lok Sabha seats at 543, citing concerns about potential alterations to parliamentary composition.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Kharge reiterated a request he had previously made on July 16 following reports regarding statements by the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister about the possibility of convening a special parliamentary session. The Congress leader's correspondence underscores the opposition party's apprehension about any moves to modify the existing structure of the lower house.

The matter assumes significance as discussions about parliamentary representation and seat allocation have periodically surfaced in political discourse. Kharge's intervention reflects the Congress party's stance on maintaining the established constitutional framework governing Lok Sabha composition.

The 543 Lok Sabha seats represent the total number of elected members in India's lower house of Parliament. Any modification to this strength would require constitutional amendment, a process that typically involves substantial parliamentary majorities and extended deliberation.