Delimitation: Revanth raises red flag over ‘seat imbalance’

Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday accused the Modi govt of deliberately linking women's reservation with delimitation for political reasons, warning that such a move could disadvantage southern states.While extending full support to the women's quota Bill, the CM proposed a ‘hybrid model' for delimitation to ensure equitable representation across states. He suggested that constituencies be expanded through a 50% increase in seats, with the remaining allocation determined by each state's contribution to the Centre through Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). Under the Centre's plan to expand the current strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 seats by 50 per cent, an additional 272 seats would be created. Revanth proposed that 136 of these seats be allocated on a pro-rata basis, reflecting a uniform 50 per cent increase, while the remaining 136 seats be distributed among states based on their GSDP contribution. He added that other states were welcome to suggest alternative models.Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat ahead of a special session of Parliament, he criticised what he described as the Centre's "unnecessary haste" in advancing both delimitation and the women's reservation Bill simultaneously. He alleged that the BJP was attempting to reduce southern states, smaller states, and Union Territories — along with their SC, ST, and women population — to "secondary-grade citizens" through a purely population-based expansion.Warning of widening disparities under the proposed 50% enhancement formula, he said the gap in parliamentary seats between Telangana and Uttar Pradesh would increase significantly. He noted that southern states currently hold 130 seats, which would rise to 195 after a 50%. In contrast, northern states, which currently hold 413 seats, would see their representation grow to 621 seats. He argued that such a model would lead to the political marginalisation of southern states.Calling for a comprehensive debate, the CM urged that the issue be discussed in Parliament as well as in all state assemblies. He recommended consultations with political parties and civil society, along with the formation of an expert committee. He further proposed that the matter be placed before state assemblies and subsequently approved by Parliament before finalising the terms of reference. The CM indicated that such a consultative process could be completed by March 2028 and cautioned the Centre against rushing decisions that could deepen regional imbalances. Illustrating his argument with an economic comparison, he noted that if one individual earning Rs 100 and another earning Rs 100 crore both receive a 50% increase, the disparity between them widens. He emphasised that numbers carry decisive weight in politics, recalling that the govt led by A B Vajpayee once fell by a single vote.On women's reservation, Revanth reiterated the Congress party's full support but maintained that its implementation should follow the 2026 Census. This, he said, would allow reservations to be applied in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and subsequent assembly polls.He also noted that the Congress had supported the Bill in 2023 and estimated that 181 women could have been elected to the Lok Sabha had a 33% quota been implemented in the 2024 elections. Recalling earlier developments, he stated that the Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi but did not clear the Lok Sabha at the time due to a lack of support from the BJP.Questioning the Centre's approach, he asked why the legislation was being advanced on the basis of the 2011 Census rather than waiting for updated data.