Won't Accept Population-Based Delimitation: Revanth Reddy

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy today called on the people, political parties and leaders of Southern India to unite in opposing the BJP's delimitation agenda.

Speaking at the Fair Delimitation's First Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting in Chennai, Reddy said, "If the BJP government at the Centre carries out delimitation based on population, it will reduce the political representation of the Southern States, effectively rendering them secondary citizens while favouring the North. There is a consensus here that we cannot accept population-based delimitation, as it would allow States including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to dominate the rest of the nation. We must stand firm against this at all costs."

Reddy also said that the Southern States would reject the Pro Rata Formula, as it would negatively impact them and deepen the power imbalance.

The Chief Minister claimed that while the Southern States contributed significantly to the national treasury, they received comparatively smaller allocations, and accused the BJP-led Centre of enforcing a demographic penalty policy.

"Since India embraced family planning as a national priority in 1971, Southern India has made considerable progress, whereas larger States in Northern India have lagged behind. Moreover, the Southern States have had the fastest economic growth, greater GDP, higher per capita income, higher job creation, superior infrastructure development, better governance and improved social welfare," he claimed.

He said that it was high time the Centre ended its discriminatory policies against the Southern States and Punjab, and insisted that it acknowledge and reward their contributions to nation-building over the past 50 years.

In 2001, the NDA government, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had conducted a delimitation exercise in various States without increasing the number of seats, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi needed to follow a similar approach, he said.

The Chief Minister announced that the Telangana government would soon introduce a resolution in the Assembly on the matter, and urged other State governments to do the same.

"I will convene the next meeting of the Southern states and Punjab in Hyderabad, where we will discuss strategies for advancing our cause. Additionally, I will organise a public meeting for all leaders to accelerate the protest," he said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, BRS working president K T Rama Rao and leaders of various political parties were present at the meeting.