Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar accused Congress and the INDIA alliance of undermining South representation by blocking key legislation in Parliament.
In a statement, the Karimnagar MP said the opposition failed to support measures aimed at protecting southern states during future seat redistribution. Consequently, he termed the move a “historic betrayal.”
Bandi Sanjay said the issue relates to the end of the Article 81 freeze after the next Census post-2026. Accordingly, this could lead to redistribution of seats based on population.
South representation concerns raised over delimitation process
He warned that states which controlled population growth and invested in development could lose political weight. In particular, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala may face this risk.
Moreover, he claimed the NDA government had proposed safeguards to address these concerns. He further added that the Centre indicated willingness to amend the delimitation framework.
Referring to assurances by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he said steps were proposed to increase seats without reducing southern states’ share. However, he alleged that the opposition did not support the move.
At the same time, Bandi Sanjay said the opposition prioritised politics over long-term interests. Therefore, he accused them of blocking measures related to fair representation and future electoral balance.
He added that the developments exposed contradictions in the opposition’s claims of supporting southern states. Meanwhile, he said the issue has broader implications for federal balance.
Congress & INDI alliance have committed a historic betrayal of the South.
They shout “South Pride” outside, but inside Parliament they killed the 131st Amendment Bill that was meant to protect southern states when the Article 81 freeze ends after the first Census post-2026.… pic.twitter.com/w9sJZ0mh1a
— Bandi Sanjay Kumar (@bandisanjay_bjp) April 18, 2026