Congress leader and Mylliem MLA Ronnie V Lyngdoh has said that, based on the population of Meghalaya, it is not justified to reduce the state’s number of MPs to just one.
“We are already a state of 4 million, so how can one MP cater to the requirements of a population of 40 lakh people?” he told Highland Post today.
Yesterday, senior advocate VGK Kynta said that 2024 may be the last Lok Sabha election where Meghalaya has two seats.
Meghalaya currently has two MPs in the lower house of Parliament, one representing Garo Hills through the Tura seat and one for Khasi-Jaintia Hills through the Shillong seat.
Stating that he has not heard anything official on the matter, Lyngdoh said that if there is such delimitation, then the state government has to argue against it.
He said that Shillong MP Vincent Pala is catering to seven districts and 25 lakh people.
“If one person represents 40 lakh people in the parliament, is it justified?” Lyngdoh said and reiterated that all political parties in Meghalaya have to take a united stand against this.
Kynta yesterday said that, according to information (as yet unconfirmed) he has seen by the Election Commission of India, Meghalaya could be reduced to just one seat after 2024.
