Kolkata, 05 August (H.S.) : Political speculation over a possible increase in Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal intensified on Tuesday after NCPI sources claimed that the state could see its parliamentary constituencies rise from the current 42 to 63 following a future delimitation exercise.

According to party sources, the issue came up during a meeting between the Chief Minister and NCPI MPs at Bangabhavan. The sources claimed that the Chief Minister indicated that if the number of Lok Sabha seats is increased, accommodating leaders who have recently joined the party as election candidates would not pose any difficulty.

The reported increase of 21 seats is expected to significantly alter the state's political landscape, party sources said. The meeting was attended by several NCPI MPs, including Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who were reportedly briefed on the possible implications of the proposed delimitation.

The development comes against the backdrop of earlier remarks by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament, where he had assured that the issue of delimitation and an increase in Lok Sabha seats across several states would be addressed in the future.

However, there has been no official announcement or confirmation from the Election Commission of India or the Union Government regarding any proposal to increase West Bengal's Lok Sabha seats from 42 to 63. The claim remains based on party sources.

On Tuesday, the Chief Minister held two rounds of meetings in the national capital. Besides interacting with 19 MPs, including three reportedly dissenting NCPI parliamentarians, he also met several MPs individually at Bangabhavan, including Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Mala Roy and Yusuf Pathan.

The meetings have sparked speculation over the party's political strategy amid reports of internal differences. However, MPs who attended the discussions said the talks focused on issues affecting their respective Lok Sabha constituencies. MP Shatabdi Roy later said another meeting between the Chief Minister and NCPI MPs would be held at Nabanna.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh