CM Revanth Reddy Receives Report on South India’s Parliamentary Seat Share
Hyderabad, March 21: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was presented with a detailed report on Thursday night at his residence, analyzing the impact of parliamentary seat redistribution across various states due to the re-division process. The report highlights significant changes in the number of Lok Sabha seats, particularly in South Indian states, and the potential risks of further reduction.
The analysis covered the re-division processes that took place in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu between 2003 and 2008 and their impact on parliamentary representation today. Based on multiple redistribution scenarios, including those suggested by Union Ministers—whether based on population percentage, pro-rata calculations, or the 2011 Census—the report warns that the South’s share of Lok Sabha seats has already declined from 24% to 19% and faces a further reduction.
Concerns Over Assembly Seat Expansion and Representation Loss
The report also examined the 2014 Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, which proposed an increase of 34 Assembly seats in Telangana and 50 in Andhra Pradesh. However, due to constitutional constraints under Article 170, this expansion cannot take place until after 2026. Meanwhile, the central government’s move to increase 7 Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir through a bifurcation bill raised concerns about why a similar provision was not implemented for the Telugu states.
The report further highlighted that due to the delay in increasing Assembly seats, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh collectively lost 84 Assembly seats over two elections (2018 & 2023). Additionally, Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities lost 20 reserved seats, affecting their political representation.
Call to Protect the South’s Representation
The report urged the Union Government to halt any further increase in Lok Sabha seats for the next 25 years, ensuring that the South—particularly Telangana and Andhra Pradesh—does not suffer a loss in national representation.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was praised for his strong stance on protecting Telangana’s interests, particularly since the Delhi meetings on the issue. In response, CM Revanth Reddy reaffirmed his commitment, making it clear that he will not back down on this crucial matter.
