Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister (CM) A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, April 14, called for a “protracted struggle” against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government to seek more Lok Sabha seats for South India. The CM had a day earlier suggested that during the delimitation exercise, 50 per cent of seats could be allocated on the basis of population and the remaining 50 per cent based on each state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
The CM’s comments were made while addressing the public on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti. He was referring to the impending delimitation, wherein Lok Sabha seats are to be increased on the basis of population increase in the country. South Indian states have however been opposing this due to lower birth rates resulting from population control.
The delimitation exercise by the Union government (that is expected to be done in the coming months) to increase Lok Sabha seats will give north Indian states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh undue advantage as the population there has only increased in the last five decades, while the GSDP has not grown in comparison to southern states.
The Telangana CM “warned” warned that the BJP is conspiring to reduce the seat quota to Southern States under the pretext of increasing representation based on a 50 percent growth of the Lok Sabha seats.
“It is high time we should unite and fight for an increase in seats in the southern states based on the pro-rata principle. BJP is engaging in conspiracies regarding the delimitation of constituencies. The centre’s move would result in grave injustice to women, SC and ST communities in the Southern states,” said the Telangana CM.
At a press conference a day earlier, Revanth Reddy said that if the exercise is done on a pro-rata basis, the southern states with currently have 130 seats will get 195 seats, and the northern states with 411 seats now, will grow to 621 seats.
CM attacks BRS, says it never paid homage to Ambedkar
On Tuesday, Revanth Reddy also attacked the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), accusing it of never paying homage to the Dr Ambedkar statue built during ex-CM K Chandrasekhar Rao’s period (2014-23).
He stated that the Congress government in Telangana gave top priority to Dalit empowerment and accused KCR of not giving SC leaders important cabinet ministerial posts. “Are not the sons and daughters of the Dalit community entitled to serve as the Finance Minister and Health Minister? It was the people-centric government which brought about a transformation where those who once insulted Dalits are now compelled to request a Dalit individual for a microphone to speak in the Assembly,” he added.
Revanth Reddy also appealed to people to “bury” the BRS for its “betrayal” politics. “Some leaders are attempting to sabotage the government’s efforts to the empowerment of poorer sections,” he stated. The Telangana CM on the occasion also remembered revolutionary singer Gaddar and popular poet Ande Sri.
