Telangana Assembly passes resolution opposing delimitation

Hyderabad: The Telangana Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution opposing the population-based delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy moved the resolution, stating that the threat of decline in the representation of the South to 19 per cent from 24 per cent is not ruled out if the delimitation was carried out by taking population as the main criteria.

The resolution urged the Centre to adopt a more inclusive approach to delusion by holding consultations with all state governments and political parties before proceeding with the process.

Reddy alleged that one party is attempting to consolidate power at the Centre by manipulating seat allocations in North India. He urged all parties to put aside their differences and jointly pressure the Centre to reconsider its approach.

“We all should fight against the Centre if the Southern states are meted out injustice in the delimitation process. The Southern states effectively implemented family planning. They will be at the receiving end if the delimitation is done on a population basis,” he said.

Reddy recalled an observation by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who cautioned that population-based delimitation would strain relations between states.

The Assembly ultimately adopted a resolution opposing population-based delimitation, with Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar announcing its passage via voice vote even as some members expressed a desire to share their views.

“This House expresses its deep concern on the manner in which the impending delimitation exercise is being planned without any transparent consultations with the stakeholders. The House urges that any delimitation exercise should be carried out transparently and after extensive consultations with all state governments, all political parties and all stakeholders,” reads the resolution.

“The states which have effectively implemented the population control program pushed by the Centre, and consequently whose population share has come down, should not be penalized and hence, population should not be the sole yardstick for delimitation.”

The resolution suggests redrawing Parliamentary constituency boundaries, keeping the number of seats frozen, and adjusting SC, ST, and women's reservations according to the latest population data ¹. This approach aims to achieve national population stabilization, aligning with the intent behind the 42nd, 84th, and 87th Constitutional amendments

The Telangana Assembly has passed a resolution seeking to increase its seats from 119 to 153, citing the A.P Reorganization Act, 2014, and the latest census. The resolution urges the Union Government to introduce necessary Constitutional amendments to facilitate this change.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy criticized the Centre for its double standards, citing the increase of Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir from 83 to 90 based on the 2011 census, and the ongoing delimitation process in Sikkim.

Reddy urged all parties to unite against the Centre's delimitation plans, suggesting a meeting with the Central government to safeguard state interests. If necessary, he proposed taking a stronger stance. To facilitate this, the government will convene an all-party meeting, led by Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka and senior leader K. Jana Reddy, and has appealed to all parties to attend.

(inputs from IANS)