Telangana CM Revanth Reddy Slams Modi Government Over Women's Quota and Delimitation
In a sharp critique, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday accused the Modi government of deliberately linking the women's reservation Bill with delimitation for political motives. He warned that this approach could disadvantage southern states and deepen regional imbalances.
Hybrid Model Proposed for Equitable Representation
While expressing full support for the women's quota Bill, Revanth Reddy proposed a hybrid model for delimitation to ensure fair representation across all states. He suggested that constituencies be expanded through a 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats, with the allocation based partly on population and partly on each state's economic contribution.
Under the Centre's plan to increase the Lok Sabha's strength from 543 to 815 seats, an additional 272 seats would be created. Revanth Reddy recommended that 136 of these seats be allocated on a pro-rata basis, reflecting a uniform 50% increase, while the remaining 136 seats be distributed among states based on their Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) contribution. He invited other states to propose alternative models.
Criticism of Centre's Haste and Allegations of Marginalization
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat ahead of a special Parliament session, the Chief Minister criticized what he called the Centre's unnecessary haste in advancing both delimitation and the women's reservation Bill simultaneously. He alleged that the BJP is attempting to reduce southern states, smaller states, Union Territories, and their SC, ST, and women populations to secondary-grade citizens through a purely population-based expansion.
Warning of widening disparities, he noted that under the proposed 50% enhancement formula, the gap in parliamentary seats between Telangana and Uttar Pradesh would increase significantly. Southern states currently hold 130 seats, which would rise to 195, while northern states would see their representation grow from 413 to 621 seats, leading to political marginalization of the south.
Call for Comprehensive Debate and Consultative Process
Revanth Reddy called for a thorough debate on the issue in Parliament and all state assemblies. He recommended:
- Consultations with political parties and civil society
- Formation of an expert committee
- Discussion in state assemblies followed by parliamentary approval
He suggested that this consultative process could be completed by March 2028 and cautioned against rushing decisions that could exacerbate regional imbalances. Illustrating his point, he compared an economic scenario where a 50% increase in income widens the gap between individuals earning Rs 100 and Rs 100 crore, emphasizing that numbers are decisive in politics.
Support for Women's Reservation with Conditions
On women's reservation, Revanth Reddy reiterated the Congress party's full support but insisted that implementation should follow the 2026 Census. This would allow the quota to be applied in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and subsequent assembly polls.
He noted that the Congress supported the Bill in 2023 and estimated that 181 women could have been elected to the Lok Sabha had a 33% quota been implemented in the 2024 elections. Recalling past events, he stated that the Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha under Sonia Gandhi's leadership but did not clear the Lok Sabha due to lack of BJP support.
Questioning the Centre's approach, he asked why the legislation is being advanced based on the 2011 Census instead of waiting for updated data.
