Revanth flags Delimitation ‘Bias’

CM pushes hybrid formula, warns of north south imbalance

■   Revanth Reddy urges Centre to delink Women’s Reservation Bill from delimitation process

■   Calls for implementation of 33 percent women’s quota on existing seats without delay

■   Warns population based delimitation will disadvantage southern states and widen regional gap

■   Proposes hybrid model combining pro rata and economic contribution for fair representation

metro india news  I hyderabad

A. Revanth Reddy, Chief Minister of Telangana, has raised serious concerns over the Centre’s approach to constituency delimitation and the Women’s Reservation Bill, terming the current strategy as politically motivated and potentially harmful to the federal balance of the country.

Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister stated that the Union Government is attempting to link two independent issues—women’s reservation and delimitation of constituencies—thereby creating confusion and misleading the public. He emphasized that both matters should be treated separately, with independent discussions and implementation mechanisms.

Revanth Reddy reiterated that the Congress party has historically championed women’s empowerment, from granting voting rights to ensuring representation in key constitutional positions. He noted that while the party fully supports 33 percent reservation for women in legislatures, such reservations should be implemented immediately based on existing constituencies, rather than being delayed or tied to delimitation.

He criticized the Centre for proposing to carry out delimitation based on outdated 2011 population data instead of waiting for the 2026 Census. According to him, this approach would disproportionately disadvantage southern states, including Telangana, which have successfully implemented population control measures. In contrast, states with higher population growth would gain increased representation, thereby widening regional disparities.

Highlighting historical precedents, the Chief Minister pointed out that previous delimitation exercises were carefully managed to maintain balance among states. He warned that a blanket 50 percent increase in Lok Sabha seats, as being suggested, would significantly widen the representation gap between northern and southern states, undermining the principle of equitable federalism.

Revanth Reddy also alleged that southern states have been consistently sidelined in terms of political representation and allocation of key portfolios at the Centre, despite contributing significantly to the nation’s economy. He stressed that such trends could deepen regional imbalances and foster discontent.

As an alternative, the Chief Minister proposed a hybrid model for seat allocation, combining pro rata criteria with economic contribution, such as Gross State Domestic Product. This, he argued, would ensure fair representation for states that play a major role in national development.

He further called for a comprehensive and consultative approach to delimitation, including an all party meeting, discussions in State Assemblies, and the formation of an expert committee. He suggested that the entire process should be completed only after the 2026 Census and concluded by 2028.

Revanth Reddy announced that he would write to Chief Ministers of various states including South, Small States like Delhi and Punjab and even to Mamata Banerjee and Lalu Prasad Yadav to build consensus on the issue.