Hyderabad: Telangana Jagruthi president Kalvakuntla Kavitha issued a sharp Telangana delimitation warning to the Centre over the proposed women’s reservation and constituency delimitation bills. She said Telangana would not accept any move that reduced its political share. She also warned that people would take to the streets if anyone tried to silence the state’s voice.
Kavitha said Telangana currently held 3.13 per cent representation in Parliament. She described this level as already very low. Therefore, she insisted that the state must retain at least the same share after delimitation. She added that 3.13 per cent should serve as the baseline. Even a one percentage point drop, she said, would hurt Telangana’s self-respect.
She acknowledged that the Centre’s plan to increase seats by 50 per cent looked positive. However, she pointed to a major imbalance in seat distribution. She said Telangana would still receive far fewer seats compared to other states. As a result, she warned that the process could deepen regional inequality.
Kavitha strongly opposed linking the women’s reservation bill with delimitation. She said the government should connect the women’s bill with an OBC reservation bill instead. She argued that real social justice would emerge only if OBC women received a fair share within the 33 per cent quota.
Telangana delimitation warning over baseline share
Kavitha said Telangana must not lose its existing share after any constituency redistribution. She demanded a guaranteed minimum of 3.13 per cent representation in Parliament. She described this figure as a non-negotiable political benchmark.
Any reduction, she said, would directly damage Telangana’s dignity. She rejected the idea that such a change could count as a routine adjustment. Instead, she framed the issue as one of fairness and federal balance.
She also stressed that total seat expansion alone would not solve the problem. If other states gained more seats, Telangana’s influence would shrink. In that case, the increase in total seats would not ensure fairness. Therefore, she insisted on evaluating the process in relative terms.
Telangana delimitation warning linked to women’s quota debate
Kavitha urged the Centre to separate the women’s reservation bill from delimitation. She said lawmakers should instead link it to OBC reservation provisions. She argued that the current approach weakened the debate on representation.
She said the 33 per cent quota must include a clear share for OBC women. Without that, she warned, the policy would remain incomplete. Moreover, she said combining both issues would create confusion and political tension.
Kavitha also said southern states should not face penalties under delimitation. She pointed out that these states performed well in population control and development. Therefore, she argued that penalising them would violate democratic principles.
She said the fight would not stay limited to Parliament. Instead, she warned that protests would spread to the streets if needed. She made it clear that Telangana would resist any move that reduced its national voice.
Kavitha linked delimitation, women’s reservation, and OBC inclusion into one broader issue. She argued that the Centre must ensure fairness across regions. Through this Telangana delimitation warning, she put the government on notice over any attempt to alter the state’s representation.