File picture of Revanth Reddy (left) meeting Narendra Modi (right)
Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene an all-party meeting, bringing together representatives from all states and political parties, to deliberate on the Centre’s plans to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 transparently and inclusively.
He urged the prime minister to build a national, political consensus on increasing the Lok Sabha seats through the ‘hybrid model,’ he wanted to propose, and to implement the women’s reservation in the legislative bodies, without linking them.
“There are three different issues, about which confusion is being created in the minds of the people, as if they are compulsorily inter-connected, which they are not,” he wrote in a letter to Modi on Tuesday, April 14, noting the differences between the women’s reservation in the legislature, the national delimitation exercise, and the increase in the Lok Sabha seats.
On the Women’s Reservation Bill, he stated in unequivocal terms that the Indian National Congress fully supported it.
He urged the Prime Minister to implement it for Lok Sabha and State Assemblies with the present number of seats without increasing them.
Regarding the national delimitation, he pointed out that there have been delimitation exercises done before without changing the number of seats, while only changing the boundaries of constituencies within the states. He felt such an exercise could be undertaken in the country.
He stated that the real contentious issue was the proposal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), to increase the Lok Sabha seats to 850 seats on a pro rata basis.
“The proposal to increase the Lok Sabha seats on either population or pro rata model is not acceptable to many states, among them, southern states. I wish to bring to your notice our serious concerns regarding the proposal to increase Lok Sabha seats, which, if done on a pro rata basis, is fraught with dangers for the country,” he claimed.
Revanth Reddy pointed out that recognising the risks to national integration owing to the changing population patterns, and its debilitating consequence on regional aspirations, two great leaders – former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee had decided to defer the question of increasing the Lok Sabha seats based on population for 25 years each.
He stated that an increase in the seats based on pro rata, without considering economic contribution and socio-economic and human developmental outcomes, will lead to a severe and irreversible distortion in the federal balance of our country.
He noted that the southern states of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry and Kerala, over the past several decades, have consciously adopted policies aimed at population stabilisation, improved public health, and higher human development outcomes- contributing significantly to India’s overall progress.
“However, under the present proposal, these very states are being structurally disadvantaged and politically unempowered. The consequence of a pro rata model is not merely a statistical adjustment; it will result in a systemic shift in political power, Revanth Reddy predicted.
Referring to the matter of financial devolutions, Reddy stated that states like Telangana were facing severe financial injustice, bias and discrimination, wherein some states like Bihar or Uttar Pradesh have been receiving a lot more for each rupee they were contributing.
Calling it a causative factor of a South-North divide that has been building up for decades, Revanth Reddy felt that a change in Lok Sabha seats in the presently intended fashion will leave southern states like Telangana suffering political injustice over and above continuing the financial and policy discrimination.
“Southern states, despite their substantial contribution to the national economy, will witness a relative erosion of their voice in Parliament, while states with higher population growth in a northern-central belt will gain disproportionately,” he claimed.
“This effectively translates into a scenario where progress is penalised and demographic expansion is rewarded,” he noted, adding that it was not merely a question of numbers, but a fundamental question of equity, fairness, and the integrity of the nation itself.
Making it clear that the pro rata model will not be acceptable to the people and the governments of southern India, he cautioned that any attempt to proceed without addressing these concerns will inevitably lead to widespread opposition and resistance.
Revanth Reddy suggested a hybrid model, which sought to balance the representation with contributions of the states, which he claimed could be an ideal solution.
“Since you are proposing to increase existing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 seats, half of this can be done on a pro rata basis. The remaining half must be done based on economic contribution (GSDP), and other performance criteria,” Revanth Reddy suggested.
He claimed that a hybrid model would ensure that no state is penalised for progress, while maintaining the democratic principle of representation, and giving all the states and regions a fair voice in the national governance.
“Given the seriousness of this issue and its implications for our country’s future, this matter must be addressed through broad-based consultations and consensus-building,” Revanth Reddy urged the prime minister.
“I remain hopeful that as a country, our legislative platforms and democratic forces can arrive at a framework that is fair, balanced, and reflective of the aspirations of all regions of our country,” he concluded his letter.
Revanth Reddy has been scheduled to visit New Delhi on Wednesday, April 15.
This post was last modified on April 14, 2026 10:40 pm