Telangana CM Revanth Reddy has written to southern state CMs, urging a united front against the Centre’s Lok Sabha delimitation plan. He claims it penalizes southern states and has proposed a ‘hybrid model’ as a fairer alternative to the plan.
Ahead of the 3-day special parliamentary sitting on the Women’s Reservation Bill and Delimitation, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has written a letter to the Chief Ministers of four southern states, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Keralam, along with the Union Territory of Puducherry, calling for a unified front against the Centre’s proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies. In his letter on Tuesday, Reddy urged the southern leaders to join forces to fight the proposed “pro-rata” model, which he warns will lead to political under-representation for southern states that have managed population growth effectively. As an alternative, the Telangana CM proposed a “hybrid model” that allocates half the seats based on population and the other half based on performance criteria like GSDP, aiming to protect the representation of progressive states. He also proposed this alternative to PM Modi in an open letter today.
‘Progress penalised, demographic expansion rewarded’
“Southern States have invested heavily in population stabilisation, public health, education, and economic development, thereby contributing significantly to India’s growth story. However, under a population or pro rata model, these very achievements are rendered inconsequential in determining political representation. The consequence of this approach is a systematic dilution of the political voice of southern states,” he wrote. Under this proposed model, Reddy claimed that Uttar Pradesh would see its seats jump from 80 to around 120, while the expansion for southern states would be disproportionately lower: Tamil Nadu (along with Puducherry) would rise from 40 to only about 60, Kerala from 20 to 30, and Karnataka from 28 to 42, with AP increasing to roughly 38 seats from 25 at present. “Southern states, despite their substantial contribution to the national economy, will witness a relative erosion of their voice in Parliament, while states with higher population growth in a northern-central belt, will gain disproportionately. This effectively translates into a scenario where progress is penalised and demographic expansion is rewarded,” he said.
Explaining the ‘Hybrid Model’
Explaining Hybrid Model, he suggested that only half of the additional seats be allocated on a pro-rata (population) basis, while the remaining half would be distributed based on economic contribution, measured by Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), and other performance criteria. “Let us all join to launch a coordinated effort with unity to address this issue. India’s strength lies in its diversity and the equitable representation of all its regions. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that this balance is preserved,” he said, calling for support before the parliamentary sitting.
‘Don’t link delimitation with Women’s Reservation’
He penned a similar letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, warning that a “pro-rata” increase to 850 seats would penalise states for successful population control. Chief Minister emphasised that Women’s Reservation, National Delimitation, and Seat Expansion are distinct issues that the BJP government is “mischievously” trying to interconnect. He maintained that the Indian National Congress fully supports the Women’s Reservation Bill and its immediate implementation in the Lok Sabha. However, Reddy urged the government to implement the 33% Women’s Reservation immediately within the existing 543 seats, rather than waiting for the 2029 polls or a seat increase.
Framing it as a question of equity, fairness and integrity, rather than numbers, he said that the framework that overlooks the southern states’ contribution to the national exchequer “risks creating a perception of systemic imbalance, with serious negative implications for national unity. “
Call for all-party meet
Reddy concluded by calling for an all-party meeting and the formation of an expert committee, asserting that national unity depends on a framework that is “politically, and not just arithmetically, equitable. “
Govt’s Delimitation and Reservation Plan
The special sitting of the budget session will discuss amendments to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 and the proposed Delimitation Bill. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged all political parties to support the proposed amendment bill, expressing confidence that by 2029, women will have stronger representation and greater rights in legislative bodies. (ANI) The government has proposed increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850 as part of its intention to implement the Women’s Reservation Act from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, with 815 seats proposed to the states and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories, according to sources. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats at present.
The government intends to move a Constitution amendment bill for the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha from 2029 in a special sitting of Parliament on April 16, 17,18. The special sitting of the budget session will discuss amendments to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 and the proposed Delimitation Bill. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)