NEW DELHI — Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Union government to freeze the current strength of the Lok Sabha at 543 seats for another 25 years.

The opposition party highlighted severe concerns among southern states that population-based seat realignment during the upcoming delimitation exercise could diminish their democratic representation.

Kharge also demanded an immediate all-party meeting to build broad political consensus and ensure the seamless rollout of the 33 percent women’s reservation quota by 2029.