Unfair demarcation will marginalize the southern states: Revanth Reddy

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy on Friday alleged that the BJP government at the Center wanted to reward those who did not follow population control guidelines to serve the political interests of the BJP.

“We are following the Center’s guidelines (on family planning and population control). So we cannot be punished for good behavior. The Center rewards those who do not follow guidelines for its vested political interests. If South does not get its rights, fair share, we will resist,” Revanth Reddy said.

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What is demarcation?

The delimitation policy is implemented under Article 82 of the Constitution of India through the Delimitation Act every time the census is conducted. Delimitation aims to demarcate territorial constituencies according to the changing population. According to the Constitution, delimitation must be based on the population of the states to maintain a ‘fair’ ratio between the population and the number of seats in Lok Sabha.

Why the South considers the demarcation of population to be unfair

The southern states have developed by leaps and bounds in the areas of economy, education and health care. They have managed to control population growth as per the Centre’s guidelines. Their GDP is also higher than that of many states in the north.

According to a 2019 study, if delimitation takes place after the next census, Bihar and UP would gain 21 seats, while Tamil Nadu and Kerala would lose 16 seats in Lok Sabha due to their population control measures.

What Revanth Reddy said

Addressing the ABP Rising South Summit 2024 on Friday, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy said if the seats are not allocated fairly to the South, people can easily form the government without votes from the South. “Then we will not get representation. We will be reduced to a marginalized community if we are not obliged to win the elections. We are not ready for that,” he said.

He demanded that the seats in the South be expanded in percentage terms with those in the North. “All parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, must take policy decisions to demand the same,” Reddy said.

FOLLOW ALL LIVE UPDATES FROM THE ABP SOUTH RISING SUMMIT 2024 HERE.