'Discrimination against South India': Telangana CM Revanth Reddy proposes 'hybrid model' for delimitation

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for portraying the enactment of the Women's Reservation bill and the delimitation of constituencies as a single issue.

Demanding the Union government a debate in the Parliament and all the legislative assemblies, constituting an expert committee and consultation with all parties on the delimitation issue, the Chief minister proposed a “Hybrid Model“ in the reorganization of the constituencies in the country.

Addressing a press conference in the State Secretariat on Monday, Revanth Reddy wondered why the Centre was creating a sense of urgency by summoning a special session of Parliament to address both the delimitation of constituencies and the Women's Reservation Bill. The CM alleged that the Centre was strategically moving to project an impression that the opposition parties were not supporting the women reservation and delimitation. The two important national issues should be seen as separate and discussed separately before finalizing the modalities.

Referring to the Women's Reservation Bill, the Chief minister emphasized that a law should be enacted only after the 2026 census. If the provisions were amended in accordance with the 2026 census, women's reservations could be implemented in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, as well as in the assembly elections of various states, he pointed out that, in 2023, the Congress party extended its full support to the Women's Reservation Bill. There would have been an opportunity for 181 women to be elected out of the 543 seats had a 33 percent reservation been provided for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He made it clear that the Congress is committed to the women quota and ready to support the Women's Reservation Bill based on the 2026 census. The Chief minister recalled that the bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi during the Congress rule . However, the Women's Reservation Bill did not get approval because the BJP had not supported it.

Hybrid model proposed

On the delimitation of the constituencies, the Chief minister proposed a "Hybrid Model" . Of the 272 seats proposed to be increased, 136 seats should be allocated based on a pro-rata basis and the remaining 136 seats should be allocated based on Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). Priority should be given to those states that contribute the largest share to the national gross output.

Further, the Chief minister took strong objection to PM Modi’ proposal of 50 per cent increase in seats. This would be detrimental to the very survival of the nation. Revanth Reddy explained that the disparity in seats between Kerala which has 20 seats and Uttar Pradesh which has 80 seats stands at just 60 seats. If the 50 per cent increase is implemented, this gap would widen to 90 seats. The gap in seats between Telangana and Uttar Pradesh would widen to 94 seats. The Southern states collectively hold 130 seats if increased by 50 percent this total would rise to only 195 seats. The Northern states which currently hold 413 seats will have 621 MP seats.

Revanth Reddy also raised the issue of the declining population in the southern states due to the implementation of family planning and the significant increase of population in the Northern states. The Chief minister alleged that the centre was trying to relegate southern states to a politically secondary status. Even smaller states like Delhi and Punjab will lose their political relevance. “ This would be an irreparable blow to both the Southern states and the smaller states alike”.

Revanth to write to southern states

Revanth Reddy said that he would write a letter to all Southern State chief ministers and also small states like Punjab and Delhi seeking their cooperation in the fight against the discrimination against the fast developing states in the delimitation process. The Chief Minister also criticized the BJP government at the centre for not allocating key portfolios to the southern states including constitutional posts like the President. The Southern states were serving as the nation's economic capitals, while the Northern states were political capitals. We are opposed to a system where some states pay taxes and others dominate, he said. “ Southern India contributes significantly to the nation. We are generating income and creating employment and livelihood opportunities. How can the centre penalize us?”. Issues such as the formation of Telangana state and the Naxalite movement arose because of discrimination. The BJP was attempting to further exacerbate this discrimination. We will unite the southern states, as well as the smaller states, on this issue. We will wait and see how they manage to get the bill passed in Parliament”, he said.