महाराष्ट्र विधान सभेची सध्याची सदस्य संख्या कोणत्या वर्षाच्या जनगणनेच्या आधारावर ठरविण्यात आली आहे ?

The correct answer is Option B (1971).

Key Points:
• Delimitation and Assembly Seat Allocation:
• 1971 Census Baseline: By the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976, the total number of seats in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies was frozen based on the 1971 Census until the year 2000.
• 84th Amendment Extension: The 84th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2001 extended this freeze on the total number of seats (288 seats in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly) up to the year 2026, explicitly retaining the 1971 census benchmark.
• Territorial Readjustment vs. Total Seats: While internal territorial boundaries and SC/ST quota seats were subsequently rationalized under the Delimitation Act, 2002 using the 2001 census (via the 87th Amendment), the *total number of members* (288 seats) remains pegged to the 1971 Census.
• Key Takeaway: The total strength of 288 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly is frozen based on the 1971 census until 2026.