BJD President Naveen Patnaik has cautioned against using population as the sole criterion for the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies. He said it will unfairly penalise states that successfully controlled their population growth. The BJD president advocated for an all-party discussion by the Union Government to address concerns about the delimitation process.

Addressing the first Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting on delimitation convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin at Chennai today, Mr Patnaik pointed out that Odisha, along with Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Punjab, successfully implemented population control measures. The BJD leader warned that if the 2026 projected population figures become the basis for delimitation, Odisha may lose seats in both the Lok Sabha and state assembly.