KTR strongly opposes constituency delimitation, calling it unfair to Telangana and other southern states. He urges economic contribution as a key factor.
HYDERABAD: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) has strongly opposed the proposed constituency delimitation based on population, calling it a severe injustice to Telangana and other southern states. He warned that the Central government’s decision to allocate constituencies solely on a population basis would adversely impact Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.
KTR expressed full support for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s concerns over the issue, which were recently voiced on social media.
KTR criticised the Modi government, questioning whether it was punishing southern states for their success in controlling population growth. “Southern states treated population control as a national priority and implemented it successfully. Instead of acknowledging this achievement, the Centre is now penalizing these states by reducing their political representation,” he said.
He asserted that redrawing constituencies based solely on population would be undemocratic and against the principles of federalism.
Disparity in Representation
Highlighting the demographic shift over the decades, KTR pointed out that southern states have seen a relative decline in their population share. “In 1951, the combined population share of southern states was 26.2%. By 2022, this dropped to 19.8%. Meanwhile, states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan saw their share increase from 39.1% to 43.2%,” he explained.
If delimitation is done solely based on population, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar together would have 222 Lok Sabha seats, while Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala combined would get only 165 seats, KTR stated.
Southern States’ Contributions Overlooked
KTR emphasised that southern states have consistently outperformed northern states in economic growth, human development indicators, and population control. “Penalising progressive states while rewarding underperforming states is against the nation’s interests,” he said.
He urged that economic contribution should be considered in the delimitation process. “Telangana’s population is just 2.8% of India’s total, yet it contributes over 5.2% to the national GDP. Similarly, all southern states play a crucial role in India’s economy. This must be taken into account while deciding political representation,” KTR suggested.
He reiterated that any delimitation process should be based on a balanced approach that recognizes economic contributions, rather than being dictated by population numbers alone.
I totally agree with Thiru Stalin and strongly support him on this. You cannot penalize the Southern states for religiously implementing family planning when the nation needed it the most
To execute delimitation without considering the efforts of the southern states is not in… https://t.co/IjG9wLL7Sv
— KTR (@KTRBRS) February 26, 2025
