Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Centre in the Lok Sabha, questioning the government’s decision to link the implementation of women’s reservation to delimitation and seeking clarity on the basis for projecting an expansion of the House to 850 seats.Initiating the debate during the special Parliament session, Gogoi argued that the proposed quota should be implemented on the current strength of 543 seats, rather than being tied to a future delimitation exercise.“Women’s reservation should be implemented on the current strength of the Lok Sabha. It must not be linked to delimitation,” he said.Earlier, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, while introducing the Bill, said Lok Sabha seats across states would increase by 50 per cent after delimitation, taking the total strength to 850 from the current 543. He added that 272 seats would be reserved for women, describing it as a “simple formula” to ensure no state is disadvantaged.Taking a swipe at the government, Gogoi questioned the basis of the proposed expansion. “Where did this figure of 850 come from? Who decided it? Is there any government document or parliamentary panel report? Did this number fall from the sky?” the Jorhat MP asked.Stepping up his criticism, the Congress leader accused the government of creating hurdles instead of ensuring immediate representation for women. “It seems the government is not in favour of women’s reservation and is creating obstacles repeatedly,” he said.Gogoi also said the arguments presented by the government were not new. Referring to the 2023 discussions, he said similar assurances had been made earlier, but not implemented, adding that remarks made then by Home Minister Amit Shah had now been repeated.He further alleged that the Centre was attempting to bypass constitutional provisions on delimitation. Citing Article 81, he said seat redistribution is linked to the next Census —expected after 2026 — but the government appeared to be moving ahead without it.“Today the government is deciding on its own how much the strength of Parliament will increase, and that too without any Census,” he said.He also accused the Centre of using the women’s reservation legislation as a cover to push delimitation “through the backdoor”.The remarks come amid a heated debate in the Lok Sabha over the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Act), with Opposition parties demanding immediate implementation and raising concerns over its linkage to delimitation and Census timelines.