Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a national consensus on increasing Lok Sabha seats and opposing the pro-rata model.
He urged the Centre to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue. At the same time, he called for immediate implementation of women’s reservation without linking it to seat expansion.
Revanth Reddy said women’s reservation, delimitation and increase in Lok Sabha seats were separate issues. Therefore, he alleged that linking them created confusion among the public.
He said the Congress supported the Women’s Reservation Bill and favoured its implementation with the existing 543 seats. In addition, he said delimitation could be carried out by adjusting constituency boundaries without increasing seats.
Lok Sabha seats proposal triggers federal concerns
The Chief Minister opposed the proposal to increase Lok Sabha seats to 850 through a pro-rata model. He said several states, especially in the south, had serious concerns over the move.
He warned that the model would distort the federal balance by ignoring economic contribution and human development indicators. Consequently, he said it would reduce the political voice of southern states.
Revanth Reddy said southern states had prioritised population control, public health and development. However, he said the proposed model disadvantaged these states despite their contributions.
He also pointed to financial disparities in resource allocation. At the same time, he said some states received higher returns compared to their contribution, while Telangana received less.
He cautioned that the proposal could lead to political imbalance and weaken equitable representation. Therefore, he said it could trigger opposition if implemented without consensus.
Revanth Reddy suggested a hybrid model as an alternative. He proposed that half of the additional seats be allocated through pro-rata, while the rest be based on economic performance and other criteria.
He called for a transparent and inclusive discussion involving all states and political parties. Consequently, he urged the Centre to ensure fairness in representation and decision-making.