Implement women’s quota now, says KTR; flags delimitation concerns

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao said the BRS would launch an agitation if southern states were meted out injustice or if there was any reduction in seats during the delimitation process. He said the BRS was ready to join hands with other parties against any injustice in delimitation.He made it clear that the party has consistently supported the Women's Reservation Bill and has a proven track record of implementing women's empowerment measures during its tenure in govt.Speaking to the media, KTR said that under the leadership of K Chandrasekhar Rao, the BRS govt not only supported the Women's Reservation Bill but also passed resolutions in both the legislative assembly and the council. Furthermore, the govt implemented 50% reservation for women in local bodies and ensured one-third reservation for women in market committees, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to women's empowerment.The BRS leader objected to the unnecessary linkage being made between women's reservation, delimitation, and constitutional amendments. "Implement women's reservation immediately. There are 543 seats in Parliament. Apply it there. In Telangana, there are 119 assembly seats. Implement it here as well," he said. KTR clarified that, as per constitutional procedure, the sequence must be followed properly: first the census, then delimitation, and only thereafter any structural changes.Launching a sharp attack on Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy, KTR described him as a ‘hybrid CM', alleging inconsistency in his political stance. He further criticised the CM for double standards, pointing out that while procedures are being demanded from others, the same were ignored when proposing the division of Hyderabad into three corporations without consulting GHMC representatives, ZPTC members, or MLAs."You cannot have one policy for yourself and another for others. As a national party, the Congress must speak with clarity and responsibility instead of making contradictory statements," he added. He reiterated that the BRS has been raising concerns over delimitation and representation since 2022–23, warning that using population as the sole basis for increasing Parliamentary seats would unfairly penalise southern states.KTR recalled that the freeze on parliamentary seats introduced in 1971 was based on population control considerations. Over the past five decades, southern states have successfully implemented family planning measures. "Are you now going to penalise us for following national policy?" he questioned. He said that southern India currently accounts for approximately 24% of representation in the Lok Sabha, and this proportion must be protected at all costs.