BRS to back Women’s Reservation Bill, flags red line on delimitation

BRS has decided to support the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament while opposing any delimitation exercise that reduces southern states’ representation. The party will study the Bill before finalising its stand on constituency restructuring proposals.

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has decided to extend full support for the Women’s Reservation Bill, while drawing a clear line against any delimitation exercise that could harm the interests of southern States. Though the party has no MPs in the Lok Sabha, it has four MPs in Rajya Sabha.

BRS chief and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao held a discussion with the party leaders including working president KT Rama Rao and Legislative Party deputy leader T Harish Rao at his Erravelli residence on Tuesday night, ahead of the special session of the Parliament scheduled to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill from April 16 to 18.

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Sources said the BRS president asked the party MPs to extend full support the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha. In its first term itself, the previous BRS government took initiative and passed a resolution in the Assembly supporting women’s reservations in the Legislature before sending it to the Centre for necessary action. The party also implemented women’s quota in local bodies in Telangana.

However, the BRS leadership is learnt to have adopted a cautious approach on the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies and the Assembly constituencies. The party already made it clear that it will not accept any delimitation proposal that harms the interests of southern states.

Accordingly, Chandrashekhar Rao reportedly decided not to take any hasty decision until the provisions of the bill are fully examined. He is said to be of the opinion that any exercise based on the 2011 Census could result in serious injustice to southern States, reducing their share of representation in the Parliament.

Southern States currently account for around 24 per cent of Lok Sabha seats and Chandrashekhar Rao is understood to have argued that this share should not decline. He reportedly felt that ideally the southern States’ representation should increase, particularly given the region’s contribution to national development and population control efforts.

The BRS leadership indicated that if delimitation leads to a reduction in the South India’s representation, the party would oppose it outright. At the same time, it kept the door open to a supportive stance if seat expansion is carried out uniformly without affecting the existing share of southern States.

The BRS chief is learnt to have directed the party leaders not to rush into a decision on delimitation. The party will study the bill carefully once it is introduced in Parliament and then decide its stand.

The meeting also reviewed preparations for the party’s upcoming public meeting in Jagtial on April 20 and Formation Day celebrations on April 27. Announcements in this regard are likely to be made soon.