CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao addressing the roundtable on the delimitation of constituencies in Vijayawada on Monday.
| Photo Credit: G.N. Rao
A roundtable on the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha (LS) constituencies organised by Jana Chaitanya Vedika here on Monday urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to call a special Assembly session, conduct an all-party meeting to discuss the issue and then take a stand that would not harm the State’s interests. The roundtable also called upon TDP, JSP, and YSRCP to attend the upcoming delimitation conference in Hyderabad.
CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao urged the State government to hold extensive deliberations on the “contentious” issue and criticised the TDP and JSP for staying away from the conference held in Chennai under the leadership of Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin.
Mr. Rao alleged that the BJP’s intention behind delimiting constituencies based on population was to tighten its grip on the Southern States. He added that Mr. Naidu could not make a case against delimitation, even though his party, the TDP, was in a position to call the shots in the NDA.
Senior Congress leader N. Tulasi Reddy warned that if the population was taken as the benchmark for delimitation, the Southern States would suffer major losses, which would jeopardize national unity. He suggested that the number of LS seats should remain unchanged and that the seats added up due to the implementation of reservation for women should be distributed proportionally among the States.
Jana Chaitanya Vedika State president V. Lakshman Reddy insisted that Mr. Naidu should have a resolution passed in the Assembly after a thorough debate and send it to the Central government. He stated that if the LS seats were allocated as per the States’ population in 2026, Tamil Nadu would lose nine seats, Andhra Pradesh five, Kerala six, West Bengal four and Odisha three. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh would gain 12 seats, Bihar 10, Rajasthan seven and Madhya Pradesh five.
Former Minister Vadde Sobanadreeswara Rao, former MLC K.S. Lakshman Rao, CPI leader A. Vanaja, Taxpayers’ Association district president M.V. Anjaneyulu and others took part in the roundtable.
Published – March 31, 2025 08:04 pm IST
