Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar accused Congress and the INDIA alliance of betraying the interests of southern states as the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, was defeated in Lok Sabha.
The Bill, introduced on April 16, aimed at increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha, bringing into force fresh delimitation based on the latest census report, and implementing women’s reservation. But the Bill failed to gain the two-thirds majority required in the House.
Reacting to the development, Sanjay alleged that the opposition blocked safeguards for southern states ahead of the post-2026 delimitation exercise. He argued that population-based redistribution could reduce the relative share of states such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Concerns over delimitation have been consistently raised by leaders across southern states. They argue that states which successfully implemented population control policies and improved social indicators should not be politically disadvantaged. A shift to population-based seat allocation, they fear, could increase representation for high-growth northern states while reducing the proportional voice of the South in Parliament.
Another important issue is the effect on the country’s balance of power, as leaders in the south fear that having less representation may decrease their ability to influence policy decisions and the distribution of resources at the national level. Some leaders are proposing other equations, like taking into account developmental indices or sticking to the present ratio.
