Hyderabad: Batting for a more nuanced decision on the delimitation of Parliament seats, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and ex-Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Sunday, July 20, said that representation in Parliament must not be dictated purely by population numbers.
Referring to the delimitation of Parliament seats, which was last done on the basis of population state wise, KTR while speaking at the 9th edition of Talk Journalism in Jaipur said that the growing centralization of power and resources in the Hindi heartland will come at the expense of southern states in India.
Stating that representation in Parliament must not be dictated purely by population numbers, KTR said that southern states which have implemented population control “should not be punished for their discipline”.
According to a press release from his office, KTR cited data which showed that while southern states like Kerala limited population growth to just 69% since 1950, Uttar Pradesh witnessed a staggering 239% rise. “This demographic imbalance, he warned, is now set to translate into a political imbalance through the proposed delimitation exercise, which could see South India lose parliamentary seats even as North India gains,” added the release.
‘India has no official language’
On the issue of Hindi language imposition as southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have always maintained, KTR clarified that India has no national language. “With 22 official languages and over 300 unofficial ones, our diversity is our strength. Language is not just a tool of communication – it’s our cultural identity. I’m not enforcing Telugu on you, so why enforce Hindi on me?,” he asked.
KTR’s comments at a time when leaders like Andhra Pradesh minister and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh said that Hindi is the national language.
Further, on the issue of delimitation of Parliament seats, KTR said that it will lead to the centralization of policies and fiscal resources. “The more political parties start feeling that the Hindi belt will decide who becomes the Prime Minister, the entire focus will be on making policies that suit the Hindi belt, and the rest of India will be left in the lurch,” he added.
KTR also raised concerns over recent controversies around electoral roll revisions in Bihar. He noted allegations of nearly five lakh voters being struck off the rolls, warning that such practices undermine India’s democratic foundations.
Citing unfulfilled promises made by the BJP-led Union government, such as the increase in Assembly seats in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh under the AP Reorganization Act, KTR questioned the Centre’s credibility. He also clarified that the BRS has never formally supported any party centrally. “We extended only issue-based support to the Union government. We believe that politics should be limited to the last six months, and economics should take centre stage for the remaining four and a half years,” said KTR
