Southern CMs Demand Dialogue on Delimitation Amid Women's Reservation Push

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy emphasized that women's reservation and delimitation are separate issues. Southern CMs have urged PM Modi to discuss seat increase in Lok Sabha with opposition. They demand a hybrid model for seat allocation based on GSDP and other criteria, citing regional imbalances.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has stressed the distinction between accelerating women's reservation and the delimitation of constituencies, asserting that these are separate concerns. His comments came after Southern states' Chief Ministers addressed a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, advocating for a dialogue with opposition parties to understand the underlying criteria for increasing Lok Sabha seats.

Reddy proposed a hybrid model, suggesting that 50% of the proposed increase should be distributed according to the state's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), while the remaining should follow the government's proposal. He accused the central government of conflating women's reservation with delimitation, aiming to portray opposition parties, notably Congress, as opponents of the women's reservation bill.

Prime Minister Modi's portrayal of delimitation as a tool of political advantage has been criticized, especially concerning the alleged regional disparities between North and South India. Reddy emphasized that without adjusting the balance of representation, Southern states risk facing grave injustices. He reiterated support for women's reservation without the need for prolonged discussion, stressing the urgency of fair delimitation. Meanwhile, Modi, at the Nari Shakti Vandan programme, underscored the impending historic enactment of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, which aims to fortify women's roles in democracy.

(With inputs from agencies.)