KTR warns against population-based delimitation

BRS working president KT Rama Rao welcomed the delimitation process but warned that a population-based approach could disadvantage southern States. He urged the Centre to follow the 1971 Census framework and ensure that representation in Parliament is not reduced.

Hyderabad: While welcoming the long-pending delimitation process, the BRS has expressed concerns over the potential disadvantages to southern States if it is carried out purely on a population basis.

Speaking to reporters in the Assembly on Tuesday, the BRS working president KT Rama Rao said delimitation should have been conducted in 2014 as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. “Though it is delayed by over a decade, we welcome the initiation of the process now,” he said.

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He, however, cautioned that if delimitation is based solely on current population figures, it would severely disadvantage southern States. “Delimitation should not be based purely on population. Instead, it should follow the same proportional framework adopted earlier, based on the 1971 Census,” Rama Rao stressed.

He pointed out that southern States collectively account for around 24 percent of representation in Parliament and stressed that this share must not be reduced.

Welcoming the proposal to increase Assembly seats in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Rama Rao said that greater representation would bring governance closer to the people. Highlighting disparities in constituency sizes, he noted that while constituencies like Aswaraopet have around 1.3 lakh voters, Serilingampally has nearly 9 lakh voters. “Such vast disparities are not healthy for a functioning democracy,” Rama Rao said.