‘No state should lose seats’: Jagan Reddy urges PM Modi to ensure equitable delimitation

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure fairness in the upcoming delimitation exercise, emphasizing that no state should lose parliamentary representation. In a letter dated March 21, 2025, Reddy highlighted concerns from southern states, which fear a reduction in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seats due to their declining share of the national population.

The former Andhra CM pointed out that southern states, including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, have successfully implemented population control measures, but now risk losing political representation because of the country's population-based seat allocation system. He stressed that this punishes states that followed government policies, making the process inherently unfair.

Reddy reminded the Prime Minister that the 84th Constitutional Amendment had frozen delimitation until 2026, but with the Census delayed due to COVID-19, there is uncertainty over how seat distribution will be adjusted. He also referred to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s earlier assurances that no state would be unfairly affected but raised concerns that the current constitutional provisions do not guarantee this.

Citing historical Census data from 1971 and 2011, Reddy emphasized how the population share of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh has steadily declined, despite these states contributing significantly to national development. He argued that if seats are allocated purely based on population size, southern states could face a drastic reduction in parliamentary strength, weakening their voice in national policymaking.

Although Jagan Reddy did not attend the multi-state meeting on delimitation organized by Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, his letter reflects the same concerns raised at the Chennai gathering. He asserted that the current constitutional framework requires amendments to maintain fair representation for all states, particularly those that prioritized population control.

Seeking direct intervention from PM Modi, Reddy warned that an imbalanced delimitation process could lead to social and political instability. He urged the central government to assure southern states that their representation would be protected, stressing that strong leadership was needed to address this pressing issue.