Delimitation row: Revanth Reddy wants current gap in seats be maintained, as 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats will leave South at a disadvantage

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has strongly criticised the Central government’s proposal to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats by a blanket 50% across all States, asserting that the move will disproportionately benefit northern States while leaving southern States politically marginalised.

In the new proposals of the Central government, the total strength of the Lok Sabha is anticipated to rise from the current 543 seats to 816, an addition of 273 seats. Mr. Reddy has opposed the idea of applying a uniform 50% hike in every State.

He argued that this approach would widen existing disparities between States, particularly disadvantaging the southern States. “The current difference in representation between States must be maintained,” he said adding that, “This blanket 50% increase will hurt the southern States while benefitting the bigger northern States.”

Mr. Reddy cited Uttar Pradesh and Telangana as a stark example. Uttar Pradesh currently has 80 MPs and it would go up to 120 seats with a 50% increase. Telangana, now with 17 seats, would go up only to 26. Under the existing framework, the difference between the two States is 63 seats; under the 50% model, it would expand to 94 seats, giving undue advantage and influence to UP.

Further, other southern States — Tamil Nadu (39 seats), Karnataka (28), Andhra Pradesh (25) and Kerala (20) — which would see increases proportionate to their existing allocations would remain significantly behind larger northern States, he pointed out.

If the 50% model is applied uniformly, the five southern States collectively would gain aroud 66 seats, increasing their total from 129 to 195. The relative imbalance is the core problem as Hindi-belt and northern States, would see a rise of roughly 142 seats, Mr. Reddy said.

He warned that when the numbers are separated strictly into northern versus southern aggregates, the northern group gains more than 200 seats, which would relegate five South States to the political periphery. “The Lok Sabha’s composition, which determines the formation of the Central government must not be skewed against any region.”

“There is no objection to increasing the number of Assembly seats within States,” Mr. Reddy clarified, “but Parliament is a different ball game as it shapes national governance, and representation must reflect proportional balance.”

Mr. Reddy warned that public anger could surge due to this ‘discrimination’, seen during the Telangana agitation for Statehood. He also criticised the Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders K. Lakshman and Bandi Sanjay, accusing them of blindly defending the Centre’s proposal.