Hyderabad: Concerns were raised on March 22 by the Telangana Chief Minister, A. Revanth Reddy, regarding the possible delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies based on population. At a conference called on the issue by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, held in Chennai, Reddy cautioned against a move that would rob the southern states of political power.
Reddy stated that if delimitation was done on the basis of population, states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan would in scope overshadow the southern states. Southern states stood to be politically superseded by the likes of areas of states like Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, and it was then made clear that a rallying cry for southern voices must therefore be an unequivocal rejection of such proposals.
“We cannot accept delimitation based on population because then states like UP, Bihar, MP, and Rajasthan will dominate the rest of the country. The North will make us secondary citizens,” Reddy said.
Reddy's remarks indicate a growing unease that a population-based delimitation would disproportionately favour the northern states with a larger share of population, thereby diluting the southern states' political significance. This reinforces the need for southern political leaders to rally in opposition to this proposed change, further underlining the importance of maintaining a regional equilibrium in India's political system.
This statement comes simultaneously with debates centering around the concept of fairness and justice concerning the delimitation process, which seriously vies for prominence in determining the political power equations in the country.
[Source Credit: Deccan Chronicle]
