Delimitation BJP’s ‘conspiracy’ to strip South of influence: Telangana
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Hyderabad: Warning that delimitation based on pro rata would cause "injustice" to southern states, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday called for a consensus-building process through wider consultations with political parties and others, PTI reported.
Addressing a press conference here, Reddy alleged a "conspiracy" by the BJP to ensure that southern states are stripped of their political influence.
He favoured implementing 33 per cent reservation for women with the existing number of Lok Sabha seats.
Reddy urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider a 'hybrid' model of delimitation in which 50 per cent seats would be increased on a pro rata basis and the remaining 50 per cent based on GSDP.
"I want to give an example. As on date, there are 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala. In UP, there are 80. The difference between the two is 60. If 50 per cent seats are increased on pro rata basis, there will be 30 seats in Kerala and 120 in Uttar Pradesh. There will be a gap of 90 seats between the two," he said.
If the number of Lok Sabha seats are increased by 50 per cent on pro rata basis, they will increase from 130 to 195 in the south and 413 in rest of the country from 413 to about 620 seats, he said.
"This would further weaken the southern states politically and make them second category citizens politically, while smaller states like Delhi and Punjab would lose political relevance," he claimed.
Alleging that the BJP is seeking to increase seats by 50 per cent on a pro rata basis out of political expediency, Reddy said 195 seats in the south and 620 seats in the north would cause a major difference between the south and north.
"This is not good for the country's existence. This is not a matter concerning political parties. It is an issue concerning people of the country. We have seen where discrimination would lead to, Telangana formation agitation, Naxalite agitation are before us," he said.
The BJP, while trying to get the bill for implementing women's reservation passed in Parliament, is further increasing the discrimination and causing injustice to smaller states and southern states, he alleged.